I believe that man ought to believe in something. And some things.
And most things being equal, I am a believer in many things. Seen and unseen.
But for this week, allow me to be a big non-believer in that Football Association of Malawi (FAM) press statement suggesting that targets will be set for Flames coach Kinnah Phiri and his backroom team.
When it comes to Malawi sports, football in particular, it is always wise not to believe in targets, commissions of inquiries, investigations and financial audits. They just do not mean anything.
On the targets, FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda deserves a kudo for nipping speculations in the bud through that press statement.
But that press statement offered little solace to a football nation bleeding profusely after that 2013 Africa Cup of Nations heavy pounding by the Black Stars of Ghana. Away and at home.
To believe in FAM’s assertion on targets, is to suggest that Flames’ frailties start and end on coach Kinnah, his deputy Young Chimodzi and technical director Jack Chamangwana.
This is not the bigger picture.
I, therefore, refuse to believe that FAM executive committee is serious that targets will be set for Kinnah.
Either FAM knows what it means or the association is lost somewhere in the firefighting jungle of football administration.
I refuse to believe that five months into the Flames coaches’ renewed two-year contracts, FAM wants to drag us into talk of performance targets.
With the deals sealed, where would FAM set the targets?
Performance targets are supposed to be ‘factored’ in a contract. Kinnah has his contract done and dusted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
So, who is better placed to set targets between FAM and government?
I foresee a challenge of enforcement here.
After all, Sports and Youth Minister Enoch Chihana offered the coach and his crew contracts’ renewals without strings attached.
In Chihana’s wisdom, Kinnah is the best coach available for Malawi. According to Chihana, Kinnah is steering the Flames to great heights with minimal resources. Get that?
To save time, FAM can as well hang their targets at Chiwembe Technical Centre and not on Kinnah’s head.
With the Flames out of the running for a place at the 2013 Nations Cup, FAM cannot begin to see the wisdom of setting targets for Kinnah.
The FAM technical committee that is supposed to set targets for Kinnah and monitor him either does not realistically exit, or it has no TORs.
