Ndawa backtracks on fielding youngsters: Malawi TNM Super League
After declaring that he would field a young squad against Mighty Wanderers on the closing day of the 2012/13 TNM Super League season, Silver Strikers coach Franco Ndawa made a sudden change of heart, lining up a full strength squad against the visitors.
When Silver beat Kamuzu Barracks 1-0 last week to move three points clear of sole title challengers Big Bullets with a game remaining for both sides, Ndawa declared he would use a young squad against Wanderers on the final day.
Probably after realizing that Bullets would not have to score the said 10 goals against Lions to win the title should Wanderers massacre the bankers, the coach changed his mind and fielded his best 11 on Sunday, February 24, 2013.
Silver have finished with 58 points just like Big Bullets, who on Sunday beat Red Lions 3-0 at Kamuzu Stadium. The Bankers have been crowned champions courtesy of a superior aggregate.
Quizzed why he changed his mind after the Sunday game, the former Wanderers’ mentor said he had to change his plan after noticing there was a lot of talk from interested parties.
“People were talking a lot so I had to change my mind,” said Ndawa without specifying what kind of talk and who was talking.
Chairman for the central bank sponsored outfit MacDonald Mafuta Mwale said the coach might have been joking when he talked of fielding an inexperienced side.
“We have sponsors and if the coach had done that, it could not have augured well with the sponsors. We had to give respect to our opponents and the league organizers, who saw it fit that our game
against Wanderers should be one of the closing games,” said Mafuta Mwale.
Commenting on the secret behind his team’s success, Mwale said his side believes in getting the best players and making them aware of the club’s expectations.
He also revealed that after every game, the coaches and other technical personnel do assessment on the performance of each and every player.
“We have player assessors who sit down with the team and do an assessment of each and every player after the weekend games,” said Mwale, who conceded that he would have loved to see his team officially crowned champions with a victory.
