CVs trickle in for Flames job
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has disclosed that expatriate coaches have already started lining themselves up for the vacant Flames coaching job.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu could, however, not be drawn to disclose names of the applicants, insisting they will be unveiled at an appropriate time.
“We have already started receiving applications from across the world, but I would not be in a position to disclose the identities of the applicants at this stage,” said Nyamilandu.
But a well-placed source confided that former Dutch international Ruud Krol and Belgian tactician Aad de Mos are among those that have expressed interest through agents.
Krol’s achievements include winning gold with the Egyptian Under-23 side at the All Africa Games in 1995. He also guided Egypt’s Pharaohs to finish as runners-up during the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and was assistant coach of the Dutch national side to Frank Rijkard when they qualified for the semi-finals of the 2000 Euro tournament.
He also won the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) championship and the Nedbank Cup with Orlando Pirates in 2011 and won the MTN 8 in 2010.
De Mos became coach of KV Mechelen in Belgium where he won the national title cup and, in 1988, the European Cup Winners’ Cup, after beating his former club Ajax 1-0. He left to become RSC Anderlecht manager, where he again reached the Cup Winners’ Cup final in 1990, this time losing to Sampdoria in Gothenburg.
In 1993, he signed as manager of PSV where he faced the task of cleaning up an aging team. In his first season, PSV finished third in the league. In his second season, despite some major purchases, he did not perform well. He is currently unattached.
Kim hints at another go with Flames
Former Flames Danish coach Kim Spliedsboel, who guided the Flames to qualify for the finals of the 2002 Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup, also hinted he would not mind having another stint with the Flames.
“I would love to coach the Flames in future if the opportunity arose. It would be good because Malawi has always had a special place in my heart. I would not mind taking the challenge again,” said Splidsboel.
FAM technical subcommittee head Moses Mkandawire, who is also the association’s first vice-president, has since revealed that they are yet to come up with a list of local coaches to take care of the Flames in the interim.
He said the caretaker is expected to be in charge for six months.
“I would be honest with you. Much as we are aware that we are facing a race against time, the process of identifying a caretaker coach has not yet started.
“We were supposed to meet this week, but the process has been deferred to next week because we have to finalise [issues] with the current committee, then we can identify who will take charge in the next six months,” said Mkandawire.
Names that have been thrown into fray to be part of the caretaker coaching panel include South Africa-based Ernest Mtawali, Patrick Mabedi and John Maduka, and locally-based Eddington Ng’onamo, Yasin Osman, Franco Ndawa and Leo Mpulula.
