FA Malawi blamed for not having regional coaches
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has been blamed for not having regional coaches in place to steer things on the ground despite having more qualified coaches in the country.
Regional coaches have not been in place for the past three to four years since the last ones were employed.
Three coaches who were last deployed as regional coaches were, Jack Chamangwana in the south, Young Chimodzi in the centre and Kinnah Phiri in the north.
A soccer follower, James Mafunga said Wednesday in Lilongwe that in the absence of the regional coaches has crippled the something running of football management in the country.
He said this has been evidenced with how the selection panel for Under 17 national team did when making a call up for the side where they picked over aged players.
“Look at what happened to the Under 17 team selection which has gone to Mauritius for COSAFA tournament. The selection panel picked over aged players and was dictated at the hospital. If we had regional coaches in place this could not have happened. The regional coaches could be been responsible for monitoring this youngsters and make recommendations for selection,” he noted.
An Area 25, resident Mafunga said now we are solely depending on the services of FAM Technical Director, John Kaputa to do the scouting of these youngsters.
He pointed out that the selection process of these youngsters is a long term issue which needs time and patience for them to do better work in having a credible Under 17 side.
“I wish FAM should sit down and map out the way forward and bring back the regional coaches to work hand in hand with the national coach as support staff,” Mafunga suggested.
FAM Vice President James Mwenda said it was not the responsibility of his organization to hire the regional coaches.
He said Ministry of Sports is the ones responsible for the recruitment of the regional coaches as per our request.
“The last time we had the regional coaches some three to four years ago, they were been taking care by them not us.” Mwenda disclosed
He admitted that having regional coaches in place will lessen the pressure being put to the selection panels for the junior national teams.
The vice president explained that the association will looking the issues critically and see how best it can be done in order to have desirable results in the near future.
Director of Sports in the Ministry of Labour, Sports and Manpower Development, James Ndalama said the ministry devolved its functions to district councils in 2013 and they no longer regional recruit regional coaches.
He said the Ministry has District Sports Offices in place and they are mandated to look into all issues concern sports in the Council.
“All the districts receive adequate funding from the Treasury to plan their activities well. So monitoring of youngsters at school or community levels cannot be a problem since have the machinery in place,” Ndalama viewed.
The Director of Sports disclosed FAM had indicated that they need to recruit a national coach to be assisted by two local coaches and 10 other local coaches from various football clubs in their day to day work.
He said with this arrangement in place there is no need to have regional coaches and it will just be a duplication of issues.
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