Malawi fire coach Kinnah Phiri: FAM dissolves technical team
Kinnah Phiri, the head coach of Malawi’s national soccer team, has been sacked, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has confirmed.
This was announced during the association’s Annual General Meeting in Blantyre Saturday evening.
FAM has also dissolved the whole technical panel which also includes assistant coach Young Chimodzi and technical director Jack Chamangwana.
“Plans will be taken to fill the vacant positions that have been created in the shortest time possible mindful that the Malawi National Team will need to thoroughly prepare for the World Cup whose next assignment is in March against Namibia,” FAM said in a statement.
“Consultations are currently underway with the Ministry of Youth Develoment & Sports and Malawi National Council of Sports on recruitment of the successor and members of the general public will be advised on the outcome in due course.”
Kinnah confirmed to Nyasa Times that he has been sacked.
Sounding cool and composed, the coach said he had already been informed of the dismissal by the FAM’s president, Walter Nyamilandu.
“I have already talked with FAM’s president. What I can say is that he told me that I have been fired and will make the press statement on the reason of my dismissal. I have nothing to say since those were my employers.”
Phiri also said it is up to FAM to act on the remaining period of his contact but he said he thanks God that he is still alive and it’s now time to start looking for other avenues.
The coach blamed the media for inciting his ouster with “bad publicity.”
“So, it’s good news to all who wanted to see me dismissed in the likes of [Pilirani] Kachinziri and his friend [Peter] Kanjere,” said Phiri.
Both are sports journalists working for Malawi’s dailies, The Daily Times and The Nation newspapers respectively.
Kinna said he is also happy that he has left after accomplishing what he had planned for Malawi team.
“I think have done what I was supposed to do to the country. I have done what I had promised to the country like taking the team to the African Cup of Nations and taking the team up to 70 something FIFA ranking for the first time in the country’s football history. This is what Malawians should remember me of,” he said.
He declined to disclose his next destination let alone confirming reports that he is heading for Tanzania for another coaching contract.
“I can’t say much on this but what I can say is that if someone has quit the job he looks for another alternative. Whereever I go should not be a concern of journalists. It is the concern of myself and my family”.
Kinna said as a family they are happy that that have served the country with dedication and will leave it honourably.
The coach has for a long time been criticised, especially in social media networks, that he gives priority to players from the North but he dismissed the claims, saying he is a professional and selects in-form players.
He also said the national team’s recent poor showing is due to poor preparations and lack of training games.
