Firing RVG not solution —Walter
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu says getting rid of Belgian coach Ronny van Geneugden (RVG) has not solved Malawi football’s woes.
In an online news conference organised by Bwaila Media Club of Lilongwe on Monday, the FAM president said not renewing the expatriate’s contract which expired on April 1 would not help improve Malawi football.
“Firing RVG hasn’t solved our problem. We have just dealt with the symptoms. Our problems are systemic,” he said.
Nyamilandu said he felt FAM had let the Belgian coach down.
“I believe we have all let him down. We have bigger issues to resolve structurally and technically. This is a shared responsibility,” he said.
The coach also had similar sentiments, saying he had laid down a solid foundation for a future national football team despite the association deciding not to renew his contract.
RVG further blamed the office of the technical director and the technical subcommittee for not supporting him.
“I didn’t share the same vision with the technical director [John Kaputa] and the technical subcommittee chairperson [James Mwenda],” the Belgian tactician said.
But Nyamilandu categorically differed with RVG on the claims, saying he was given all the support by the FA.
“I don’t recall any deliberate attempt by the TD not to support the coach. In my view, it’s the output of the system and what he inherited that has not been productive to the coach,” he said.
FAM executive committee over the weekend decided not to renew RVG’s contract due to poor performance, a recommendation championed by the technical subcommittee headed by Mwenda.
The executive committee voted four against three on the motion to renew RVG’s contract.
Under-23 coach Meke Mwase has been roped in as caretaker coach for the Championship of African Nations (Chan) qualifier against e-Swatini (formerly Swaziland) on April 20.
