More woes for Flames coaches

As if being unpaid for five months is not enough torture, Flames coaches Young Chimodzi and his deputy Jack Chamangwana have woken up to a harsh reality that their one-year contracts do not cater for an official car.
Chimodzi yesterday confirmed that they had sought an audience with Football Association of Malawi (FAM) over loopholes in contracts after failing to carry out their programmes due to lack of transport.
The coaches want to start a rebuilding exercise between now and the next assignment.
“I would not know the conditions of the previous coaches, but in our contracts there is no provision of a car. We have been trying to find out from government, but government says they will be provided by FAM. We will meet FAM and raise this matter and many others concerning our programmes,” Chimodzi said.
Asked why they never raised the issues before penning the contracts last August, Chimodzi claimed that “there was nothing like we should sit down and go through the contracts. They were just thrown at us to sign”.
However, FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda yesterday claimed they were not party to the contracts and its entitlement as they were between the coaches and government.
“They were invited for talks by government and we were not invited. However, we have still been supporting them with advance pay while they wait for their money from government. I know they have programmes and we are ready to support them,” said Nyirenda.
Ministry of Youth Development and Sports’ principal secretary Justin Saidi yesterday said he needed to study the coaches’ contracts before commenting.
“They were seconded to FAM, which has vehicles for its programmes. The coaches choose what they wanted in their contracts, which is a clean wage contract like for all civil servants. You do not sign for something you don’t agree with,” claimed Saidi.
Previous coaches such as Tom Saintfiet and Kinnah Phiri were given official vehicles and also a house in Blantyre.