Point blank
Loud and clear. Football Association of Malawi (FAM) vice-president James Mwenda has said backbiting among local coaches is affecting the development of the game..
Mwenda, who also heads FAM technical subcommittee, said this on Friday when he addressed elite coaches who are attending CAF A Licence Coaching Course at Mpira Village in Chiwembe Township, Blantyre.
The FAM veep, who was accompanied by second vice-president Othaniel Hara and incoming general secretary Alfred Gunda, did not hide words, saying it is a rot that is threatening to cripple local football.
is important
“One problem that we have is that there is no unity among our coaches, there is a lot of backbiting. When one of you is at the helm, you do not support him and, instead, you try to pull him down which is not a healthy situation. We need to be united and work for the same cause for the good of our football,” he said.
Mwenda also said in normal circumstances, the National Football Coaches Association (NFCA) was supposed to play a leading role in making recommendations and proposals for national teams’ coaches.
“But because there is no proper organisation and lack of unity, that does not happen.”
He also thanked coaches for accepting the invitation to attend the elite course.
And in an interview on Saturday, Mwenda also appealed to elite coaches who are not members of the national coaches body to do so.
“And because some of them are not affiliated to NFCA, when they have some concerns or technical advice, they rush to the media when they have a proper forum through which they can do that,” he said.
He also asked the coaches to prioritise on youth development in the quest to revamp local football.
On his part, Be Forward Wanderers coach Yasin Osman hailed Mwenda’s frank talk.
“His advice was timely and professional. We have to be united as coaches if we are to help improve the game.
“As the veep rightly observed, there is too much childish behaviour and miseche among some coaches which is not good for our game. As senior coaches, we need to lead by example so that the upcoming coaches can learn from us,” he said.
Added Osman: “After such frank talk, we need to look ourselves in the mirror and ask if we are doing the right things. His advice should give us food for thought. n
