Teams which hire, fire most

Mighty Wanderers top the list of Super League’s eight established teams that have since 2000 fired 18 coaches, raising fundamental questions of what could be a fair performance appraisal to a local trainer.

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has established that Nomads have, during that time, won nine trophies. Silver Strikers follow on 13 coaches against six trophies won. Big Bullets come third on 11 coaches producing 11 trophies.

In reaction, some of the giants have defended themselves by arguing that coaching is a strictly result-oriented profession.

But the Malawi National Coaches Committee has dismissed local teams’ notion of a good coach.

Of late, Wanderers have been averaging a coach per season. The current coach Stuart Mbolembole replaced Felix Fosiko who in 2012 stepped in for Frank ‘Franco’ Ndawa who took over from Yasin Osman.

But Wanderers general secretary David Kanyenda on Wednesday argued that there is nothing peculiar as even top teams such as Chelsea and Real Madrid also waste no time in sacking non-performers.

Kanyenda insisted that at the Lali Lubani Road coaches are rated on results, quality of play and their relationship with key team members, “for example, with players primarily, then supporters and executive committee members.”

“What they [statistics] show is that our standards are high. Coaches are entitled to their opinion but we do not force people to work for us. If they decide to work for us, they should know our standards are high,” Kanyenda argued.

Silver chairperson McDonald Mafuta-Mwale said they rate coaches primarily based on consistency, trophies and dressing room management. Silver have sacked Ndawa for Stain Chirwa. Ndawa replaced Thom Mkolongo last season.

“You cannot keep a coach, when a team is losing many games, on the basis of trophies he won you last year; doing that would be living by history and you cannot achieve anything in future.

“Pressure for results is current. We have a large following and anybody coming at Silver have to compete,” said Mafuta-Mwale. He argued that supporters and sponsors expect, at least, a silverware out of the available four in a season.

But the coaches committee general secretary Charles Manda, a former Escom United and Azam Tigers coach, argued that in Europe coaches work in better environment, hence their instant dismissal could be justifiable.

“The proper way to judge a coach is also to look at how he plans and manages the team from training up to the game, then look at performance. In Malawi, coaches are only rated on trophies,” he argued, adding that domestic coaches work sometimes on verbal contracts.

“There is nothing like a good or bad coach. We have successful or unsuccessful coaches. Firing and hiring coaches undermines transition as every coach brings in new players and systems. Give a coach at least the whole of first round instead of just three games,” he said.

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’s assessment has Moyale Barracks placed fourth on eight coaches resulting in two trophies.

Also on fourth position for dismissing eight coaches are Civo United and Azam Tigers. They both won a cup each. Civo clinched the Presidential Cup in 2010 while Tigers scooped the Standard Bank Knockout Trophy in 2008.

Red Lions are on fifth seat with seven coaches hired against a single silverware.

In the eight teams analysed, Blue Eagles could relatively be a secure employer having employed four coaches in return for two cups; both under Deklerk Msakakuona.