FAM executive board at the weekend summoned Flames coach Thom Saintfiet over the team’s sterile performance at the Cosafa Cup in Zambia where they failed to make the grade even in the losers’ plate phase.
Saintfiet and his deputy Eddington Ng’onamo appeared before the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) executive committee in Blantyre on Saturday morning.
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) brass was reportedly concerned about the team’s poor showing at the regional showpiece ahead of the September 7 2014 World Cup decisive qualifier against Nigeria’s Super Eagles away in Calaba.
But while the FAM leadership gave the Belgian mentor the benefit of the doubt after he defended himself during the emergency meeting, some quarters felt the move was a choreographed plot by the association in an attempt to cover up the recent criticisms.
FAM president, Walter Nyamilandu confirmed the meeting in an interview on Sunday.
However, he dismissed suggestions that the meeting was mere window dressing.
“The emergency meeting was called to review the team’s unsatisfactory performance in the Cosafa Cup because it did not give us the confidence that we were on track in preparation for Nigeria.
“It was more of an emergency meeting because we wanted an explanation from the coaching panel on the poor performance. The coach was asked to submit a report which he did and he defended himself, saying the players did not implement the tactics that he introduced and there is need to find a way of communicating to the players to adopt new play,” said Nyamilandu.
He also said Saintfiet defended himself on the loss to Zimbabwe and blamed some of his charges who chickened out from taking penalties, although he was impressed with their fighting spirit and character.
The FAM president further said the executive committee felt the coach needed to be given the benefit of the doubt considering that he did not have enough time to drill the team ahead of the Cosafa tournament.
Contacted for comment on Sunday, Saintfiet said he would only be in a position to comment during a press briefing to be held later this week.
“I think we have a press conference within the week and that is where I will be able to comment. I am not, at the moment, available for any comment
“By the way, I am no longer staying in a hotel, I left almost a week ago. So, all that is being written in the papers is rubbish,” said Saintfiet.
But, a renowned soccer commentator Moses Dossi insisted that the emergency meeting was a deliberate move by FAM to make critics believe they are not treating the new coach with kid gloves.
“It could just be a plot to win public sympathy that they are doing something about the team’s poor performance. Otherwise, there was no need for the meeting because they already threw their support behind him, arguing that he was new,” said Dossi.
