Government rebuffS FAM on Mwase
Ministry of Youth and Sports has rebuffed the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) proposal to have Flames coach Meck Mwase redeployed.
Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda said in an interview yesterday that government only deals with policy matters.
He said the firing of Mwase is a national football team technical issue which is supposed to be handled by FAM.
The minister said: “This matter [Mwase’s redeployment] has to be handled by FAM as it is to do with the coaching systems at the association. As government, we only deal with policy matters.”
But FAM president Walter Nyamilandu yesterday said it is up to the government as the employer to determine how best to handle Mwase’s contract since he has been relieved of his services with the Flames.
At its executive committee meeting in Mangochi on Saturday, FAM relieved Mwase of his duties and said they would engage the Malawi government on redeploying the coach for the rest of his two-year contract, which expires in April next year.
Mwase has since been replaced by former FAM technical director Mario Marinica a Romanian, who is expected to name his own backroom staff.
In an interview yesterday, Nyamilandu also said FAM did not consult the government on the decision to fire Mwase and hire Marinica.
He, however, defended the decision, saying: “Our decision to recruit Mario Marinica was performance-based, having noted the turn-around in performance at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.”
On who will be paying Marinica in his new role as Flames head coach, the FAM president said FAM will continue to pay him in his new role.
FAM has also justified its decision not to float a vacancy advert on the Flames coaching job
Nyamilandu said: “We didn’t need to look elsewhere when we had the right man for the job internally.”
Mwase yesterday said he was yet to be served with an official communication about his firing and that he felt he had done nothing wrong to deserve the chop by FAM.
He said: “I am just hearing from the social media that I have been fired and I have not yet been called to be told about the reasons.”
Mwase said in his perfomance-based contract he was given a target of qualifying for 2021 Afcon finals and at least reach the round of 16 at the tournament.
“As per my contract, my performance is supposed to determine my exit or firing. I was given a target to qualify for the Afcon finals and at least reach the round of 16. I did all that to perfection and I do not know why I have been fired,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government, through the Malawi National Council of Sports has summoned FAM within the week to explain what led to the firing of the former Flames captain, the council’s board chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise confirmed yesterday.
Ministry of Sports approved Mwase’s two-year contract following the expiry of his initial one-year deal.
