New TD for football development
New Technical Director at the Football Association of Malawi (FAM), Marian Mario Marinica (MMM), has emphasized his plan is to see Malawian football develop from the grass root.
Marinica has a long-term plan which he thinks will see the Malawi National Football Team with tall and stout players that will have a high work rate with hunger to learn and give their all for the country.
MMM was meeting coaches and football administrators in the northern region where he spelt out his plans so that coaches and administrators in the country can start working towards the blue print that he will put in place.
The Technical Director was at Luwinga Technical Training Centre in Mzuzu on Friday before proceeding to Karonga.
Chairperson for Northern Regional Coaches Association, Kondwa Ikwanga, told Nyasa Times he believed the new TD knows what he has come to Malawi for and the football fraternity should wait patiently for quality fruits from him.
“He has a very good plan of developing football from the grass root. He would want to see coaches that are well trained, players that are hard working and infrastructure put in place.
“He wants to build the Malawi National Team from the grass root. He would want a strong team with strong players that can challenge strong players from Cameroon, for example, which is not the case now. We feel that is the way to go so that in four to five years, we can have vibrant football in the country,” explained Ikwanga.
Ikwanga then advised fellow football administrators across the country to work with the players towards the development of football in the country. He also advised players to focus on developing their skills on the ground with hard work and nothing else.
Commenting on the TD’s visit, FAM Second Vice President who is based in Mzuzu, Othaniel Hara, told Nyasa Times the visit was a success.
“The Technical Director is responsible for football development. You cannot talk of football development if he doesn’t travel across the country and meet stakeholders. His coming to the north is a welcome development because as you know, the northern region is also a very good catchment area for players in all levels from grassroot to super league and the national team.
“He is giving coaches and administrators the guidelines they can use in tapping, developing and nurturing football talent,” Hara explained.
Marinica has taken over from John Kaputa. For the past fifteen to twenty years, if there is a name of a Technical Director that would come to one’s mind for having done something positive for Malawi football, the name is Manfred Hoener.
Successful players like Dan Chitsulo, Peter Mponda, Clement Kafwafwa, Joseph Kamwendo and others were all products of Hoener’s initiatives.
Former goalkeeper and coach for OT Spurs, Joseph Tchuba, said time has come for coaches at all levels to inculcate the spirit of hard working in the players which is not there even in the current national football team.
“The hard-working spirit that was there in our national team evaporated way back. These days you don’t see the fighting spirit in our national team players. It appears they don’t even care much even if they lose because they will go on to take selfies, shoot their videos celebrating as if they have won.
“The lion hearts we had in the likes of Peterkins Kayira, Young Chimodzi, Lawrence Waya and others that time is no longer there.
“Perhaps we last saw such lion hearts during the time of Patrick Mabedi, Peter Mponda, Hellings Mwakasungura and others. But certainly not now!” lamented Tchuba.
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