Malawi hires Ernest Mtawali as caretaker coach: Chimodzi, Chamangwana released

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has sent the national team head coach Young Chimodzi and his assistant Jack Chamangwa on forced leave and has since appointed former midfield maestro Ernest Mtawali as care taker coach for the Flames.

During an extra ordinary meeting held on Sunday in Chiwembe in Blantyre, FAM  again showed it won’t tolerate
any barren result  and o agreed not to renew the contracts of the two coaches which are due next month.

The emergency meeting comes at the heels of the Flames embarrassing result of a loss to Warriors of Zimbabwe in the 2017 Afcon campaign Saturday June 13 2015.

The Malawi side lost 1-2 at home in a game many thought the Flames would scotch the visiting Warriors who had a string of hiccups before the match.

“FAM would like to note that it has lost confidence in the coaches due to poor performance on the Malawi national football team generally during their term of engagement culminating into the recent loss to the Zimbabwe national football team,” FAM general secretary Suzgho Nyirenda said.

He said since the coaches have been in charge of the Flames, they have been in charge of 23 matches of which they won six, drew five and lost 12 representing a 23 percent winning rate.

FAM said they will advertise for the position of Malawi coach “as soon as possible.”

Nyirenda said the new coach will be appointed by 1 August, 2015.

“Fam will cast its net wider both locally and internationally in search for a new coach,” Nyirenda said.

FAM said Mtawali will “immediately assume responsibility of the Flames” in preparation for the friendly match against Uganda during the country’s Independence celebrations on July 6.

The football governing body has since apologised to Malawians “for the painful loss” against Zimbabwe.

“FAM would like to express its disappointment with the result against Zimbabwe in a match which it feels the Flames were in a better position to win,” said Nyirenda.

The two coaches were appointed in January 2014 despite having only recently been sacked from the Flames’ technical panel.