FAM warns Nomads over Kananji

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has warned Be Forward Wanderers that they risk severe punishment should they proceed with their plans to reinstate Elia Kananji as head coach.

Kananji does not have a Confederation of African Football (CAF) B coaching licence which is the minimum qualification set by FAM for Super League coaches.

The development follows the Nomads’ recent reshuffle that saw them relieving Jack ‘Africa’ Chamangwana of his coaching role and reinstating Elia Kananji as head coach to be assisted by the team’s technical development manager Eddingtone Ng’onamo.

In a letter  dated May 19 2016 signed by FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda which The Nation has seen, the association warns that the Nomads risk a K500 000 fine plus deduction of points in the TNM Super League should they proceed with the move.

“FAM has learnt with great shock through media reports that your club has appointed Mr. Elia Kananji as head coach bearing in mind that he does not qualify to hold that position under the FAM Club Licensing Regulations.

“He does not qualify to be head coach and we strongly warn your club to immediately replace Mr. Kananji with a coach who holds a CAF B coaching licence [as minimum]. Failure to do so will attract a fine of K500 000 and a deduction of three [3] points thereafter from Super League matches everytime he is seen standing and issuing instructions on the touchline.

“Additionally, any person who does not possess a CAF coaching licence, is not allowed to stand on the touchline and issue instructions,” reads part of the letter.

However, Wanderers general secretary Mike Butao who last week confirmed Kananji’s reinstatement, said they got communication from the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) to the effect that the minimum qualification requirement would only be enforced after the first round.

“I think you should first check with the Sulom general secretary, otherwise we have no choice but to put Eddie [Ng’onamo] as head coach and maintain Elia as an assistant while Jack will double as technical director and head coach in the absence of Ng’onamo,” he said.

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda said he would have to check the minutes of the meeting they had with FAM regarding the implementation period for the coaches’ minimum qualification.

“But [club] licensing is a process currently under way. We need to build capacity in the teams both technically and administratively in a bid to attain our goal and CAF C Licence Course that was held recently, was part of the capacity building,” he said. n