Mpulula questions Flames selection

Azam Tigers outspoken coach Leo Mpulula on Tuesday hit out at national team selection criterion describing it as biased.

He said this in reaction to his team’s 2-0 loss to Big Bullets in a TNM Super League match on Monday.

“It is not surprising that the performance of the national team keeps on dwindling because players are not picked on merit. From what I have seen in today’s game, no BB player merits Flames consideration and yet you have about five or six players that are picked continuously.

“The bulk of players that are picked for national team come from teams such as Bullets, yet they are failing to perform at club level.

“If I were the national team coach, I would not include even a single player from Bullets because their performance is pathetic,” said Mpulula.

However, Mpulula who is also the Under-17 national soccer team assistant coach, was elusive on whether he was suggesting that Flames coach Kinnah Phiri’s selection is flawed.

“What I am saying is that the criterion of the national team selection is highly questionable. Period,” said Mpulula.

He further blamed his team’s loss to biased officiation.

Wonderkid Gabadinho Mhango’s double was enough to enable Bullets to collect full points in a match played in sweltering conditions at Kalulu Stadium.

“I will always blame referees and their assistants for contributing to the dwindling standards of football in Malawi. They always side with teams such as Bullets when they are, in fact, not any better,” said Mpulula.

He claimed that Bullets scored their first goal from a clearly offside position.

“And we scored a clear goal that was disallowed for offside. How can a goal from a rebound be ruled out for offside?” Mpulula wondered.

Kinnah, who is also Bullets patron, could not be reached for his comment on Tuesday, but the club’s general secretary Higger Mkandawire said Mpulula did not know what he was talking about.

“What I can say is that it is up to the people to judge whether we have suitable players for the national team, and it is unfair for such sentiments to come from a coach.

“If he [Mpulula] is a coach worth his name, then he should win silverware at Tigers rather than just talking.

“The Under-17 national team won the first leg against Botswana in the qualifiers of the CAF tournament, but when he took over in the return leg, the team was booted out. Those are the issues that he needs to reflect on as coach,” said Mkandawire.

And reacting to Mpulula’s claims that Bullets were aided by referees in Sunday’s game, Mkandawire said: “We also complain of poor officiation, but if he says we were favoured, then that is his opinion.”