Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says Flames coach Meck Mwase’s future will be reviewed after the Cameroon Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in January.
But football analysts have said Mwase’s current situation is a clear vote of no confidence by the association.
Responding to a question on whether the Flames gaffer will take charge of the team again after the continental showpiece, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said it will not be automatic.
On Sunday, FAM announced that newly-appointed technical director Marian Mario Marinica will temporarily take charge of the Malawi National Football Team ahead of the African safari while Mwase will be his assistant.
Said Nyamilandu: “We turned to the TD because we did not have enough time to go on the market.
“But after the Afcon finals, the TD will revert to his role. As for the coach, we will review the situation after the tournament.”
He also said for the time being, Marinica’s tasks as TD have been delegated to technical officer Benjamin Kumwenda.
The FAM president also said Marinica will not get extra perks for his temporary Flames’ role.
Said Nyamilandu: “He has accepted the responsibility as any other task and he is taking it as a challenge. It is just a stop-gap measure.
“The TD has been assigned a specific project and when he returns from Afcon, he will embark on his assignment full throttle.”
Mwase on Tuesday said it was difficult for him to comment on the matter.
“As an employee, it will be difficult to comment on this issue. What I can say is that I will wait for whatever decision FAM will make,” he said.
On his part, Marinica said he would revert as he was attending a meeting, but had not done so at press time around 5pm.
Football analyst Charles Nyirenda said: “Basically, it is a constructive dismissal and engagement of a foreign coach via the backdoor.
“They employed someone like a TD when the real aim was to make him the national coach. Mwase is being subjected to mental torture due to FAM’s insincerity.
“If they don’t want him, they should have come out in the open and released him. In a restructured set-up, they still call him a coach when in actual fact, he has been demoted.”
Another football analyst David Kanyenda, a lawyer by profession, also said Mwase’s role and involvement have been downgraded.
He said: “Otherwise, my understanding is that Mwase still has a running contract with FAM till sometime in 2023.
“In terms of the wages and other fringe benefits, Mwase isn’t expected to suffer any prejudice at all.
“I would advise him to stay put and be part of the technical panel at Afcon as he is more familiar with the team than Marinica.”
