MOZ league barrier frustrates Chamangwana
Flames deputy coach Jack Chamangwana has echoed his predecessors’ frustrations over difficulties in monitoring players based in Mozambique.
Chamangwana was asked if the Flames coaching panel, which Young Chimodzi heads, knows the club form of players ahead of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round qualifiers whose fixtures will be released this Friday.
“Mozambique is a problem. We do not know anything. We just rely on telephone calls. Sometimes, they assure you that they are playing regularly for their clubs, yet they are not. For example, in the recent call-up one player [name withheld] said he was playing, but to our surprise, he was missing from CAF games,” Chamangwana explained.
Chimodzi could not pick calls.
It is easier monitoring South Africa-based players [Harry Nyirenda, Limbikani Mzava, Gabadinho Mhango, Robin Ngalande, Esau Kanyenda and Peter Wadabwa] through television and newspapers, Chamangwana noted.
“It is better to just call two or three players [from Mozambique]. That is why we are concentrating on home-based players,” he said.
During the 4-1 loss to Zimbabwe in last month’s friendly, some people felt Flames first choice goalkeeper Simplex Nthala was not in top form. But the Maxaquene goalkeeper yesterday insisted that he has never accepted a Flames call up when inactive at his Maputo club.
“Since the majority of the national team players are in Mozambique, they were supposed to be serious with our league. They should find ways of following the league. This will help a lot. There are too many players here from Malawi, but because nobody can see them, they cannot have a chance to play for the national team,” Nthala explained.
The former Mighty Wanderers number one suggested that FAM can monitor the players through verifying with the Mozambique Football Federation or by assigning the Malawi mission there.
Efforts to get FAM’s reaction proved futile as the calls went unanswered.
Language barrier with the former Portuguese colony means only Malawian players who relocated there after making a name in the Super League, get called up, denying little-known players such as Dangalira Mnelemba opportunities to feature for Flames.
“The league is tough here and I am a first-choice player. Sometimes, I feel I can deliver the goods for my country, but there is no one to follow us. This defeats my dream of playing for the national team,” Mnelemba complained on Monday.
Wilson James Kanjere, Mozambican football fan based in Beira City, yesterday admitted that few people in his country understand English.
