Be Forward Wanderers FC has clarified that while Bob Mpinganjira is the head coach, his assistant Oscar Kaunda will be responsible to the main team’s player selection.
During a press briefing in Blantyre yesterday, the club’s chairperson Gift Mkandawire said Bob is the overall technical panel head for the main, reserve and youth teams and Kaunda is only in charge of the main outfit.
“In the main team, Kaunda’s role is similar to that of Albert Mpinganjira and Sherry Msuku, who are in charge of our reserve and youth teams, respectively,” he said.
The Nomads boss said the fact the Bob has CAF A coaching licence puts him above the technical panel hierarchy as Kaunda, Albert and Msuku hold CAF C licences.
Mkandawire, who was accompanied by club general secretary Mike Butao, also clarified that Bob was not previously fired as head coach but suspended due to his absence at work while doing the national team assignments as assistant coach.
“We did not fire Bob. We suspended him because of his absence due to national team duties as the procedures with FAM were not right. FAM directly contacted him when they needed his services at the national team, but did not involve or contact us before taking him on board,” he said.
“We felt that as his employers, we were supposed to be consulted first, but that was not happening. That was the reason we suspended him before reinstating him as head coach recently.”
Bob and Kaunda, who joined the Nomads from Civil Sporting Club, yesterday said they have all agreed to the current setup of the technical panel.
Bob added that the recent Cosafa Cup in South Africa, which saw the Flames losing in Plate category finals on post-match penalties to South Africa, was his last national team engagement and that he will be concentrating on his Wanderers’ post.
