Nyondo hits out at ‘uncaring’ FAM

Injured Flames forward Atusaye Nyondo has spoken out his frustration with FAM for allegedly showing no care after suffering a shoulder injury while on national duty.

However, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda yesterday dismissed Nyondo’s claims.

The South Africa-based forward dislocated his right shoulder during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria away in Algiers last month.

He only bounced back into action this week and made a brief appearance as a substitute for his club, University of Pretoria (UP), in their 3-0 win over Robin Ngalande’s Ajax Cape Town on Wednesday night.

“They showed no care and did not even bother to contact me on my progress. Instead, it was the captain Joseph [Kamwendo] who kept checking on me.

“I had to call the team manager [Franco] Ndawa to express my concerns, because the impression I got was that a player is only important in times of need and when he has problems, he is forsaken,” Nyondo said in a telephone interview from Pretoria on Wednesday afternoon.

He claimed it was on the basis of his call to Ndawa that Flames liaison officer James Sangala called him a day later to check on his progress.

“In contrast, my club showed a lot of care. They were at the airport in South Africa to welcome me. They took me straight to the hospital, yet I got injured on national duty. FAM did not even bother to infom my club that I had suffered an injury,” he said.

Despite the predicament, Nyondo said he will continue to serve his motherland.

However, Nyirenda said players’ welfare is always a priority at FAM and UP were informed of Nyondo’s injury the following day.

“I do not think he checked that with his club’s management because I sent official communication to the club and they even acknowledged receipt. Probably, that is why they even welcomed him at the airport. We do that with every player.

“It is also not true that we did not check on Atusaye’s progress because Sangala made a follow up with him and his team,” explained Nyirenda.

Meanwhile, Nyirenda has said he was surprised that UP featured Nyondo on Wednesday when the club informed FAM a day earlier that the player had not recovered from injury.

“We will follow up the issue and find out what is happening,” said Nyirenda.