Thindwa shrugs off Flames
Zimbabwe’s Caps United new Malawian signing Ishmael Thindwa has shrugged off talk of transferring his form to country, saying he does not expect a Flames playing opportunity.
“I have nothing to do with the national team. There are new coaches, but I do not know their plans. My priority is on club career. When my club tells me they cannot release me for the national team, I will listen. My career has benefitted more from club than country,” he said in an exclusive interview on Thursday.
Thindwa has in the last three seasons of his TNM Super League career twice been top scorer while playing for Epac United; paving the way for his off-season transfer to Caps.
He scored twice in equal number of Zambezi Soccer Challenge Cup games at Kamuzu Stadium last week for Caps to win the inaugural cup.
But for all his scintillating club form, he only played once for the Flames in 2011 at the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Tanzania and is yet to score. It is that lack of opportunity that frustrates Thindwa.
But Flames deputy coach Jack Chamangwana on Saturday insisted that while they value Thindwa, no player was guaranteed a playing position in the national team.
“We value Thindwa highly. He is part of our plans. Not everyone will be able to play if called. He needs to fight for his position,” said Chamangwana.
Former club Epac general secretary Roy Mdechi has since disclosed that Caps had not bought Thindwa for a long stay in Zimbabwe football, but for foreign markets either in South Africa or Europe.
