Reshuffle at Nomads: Jack reverts to technical director role
Jack ‘Africa’ Chamangwana, who has reverted to technical director (TD), has said he is not bitter about being relieved of his coaching role at Be Forward Wanderers.
The club’s executive committee made the decision at an emergency meeting held on Monday, following the team’s poor start to the season that culminated in a 2-3 loss to Mafco in the TNM Super League at Kamuzu Stadium the previous day.
Asked if he viewed the change as a vote of no confidence in him, Chamangwana, sounding ice-cool, in an interview yesterday, said: “ Not at all and I am not bitter. I have only reverted to the position which I was hired for.
“If management has seen it wise and proper that I revert to my initial position, so be it. The club comes first.”
The reshuffle at Lali Lubani Road has led to Elia Kananji reverting to his initial role as head coach to be assisted by technical development manager Eddingtone Ng’onamo.
Kananji was temporarily demoted to the position of assistant coach because he did not have the required minimum CAF B licence for Super League coaches, but the Nomads general secretary Mike Butao on Tuesday said Kananji is still eligible because “minimum qualification will only be enforced after the first round of the league.
“And we believe Kananji will have obtained the necessary qualifications by then. Otherwise, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Meanwhile, the Nomads players and technical staff on Tuesday took it on the chin and apologised to the team’s followers for the poor run.
During a press briefing held on Tuesday, team manager Stevie Madeira and senior players Jabulani Linje and Peter Wadabwa appealed to the fans not to abandon them.
Said Madeira: “We are sorry for the poor performance and results, six points in five games is not acceptable, but we will turn the corner starting with the [Presidential Cup] Red Lions match tomorrow [today].”
When asked on the cause for the poor run, Madeira—appearing clueless—said: “We have the best squad in the land and our players get huge sums, but then I cannot point a finger at anyone and it is not an administrative problem. All I can say is that we will get to the bottom of it and we will bounce back.”
Responding to the same question, his voice straining with emotion, Wadabwa said: “I think it is down to us players, we need to give out something extra, but we apologise to the fans and urge them not to forsake us.”
The Nomads are on 10th position in the league.
