Malawi’s lack of football philosophy has led to all its national teams playing different styles of football.
From Malawi Under-17, 20, 23 to the senior team, there is a disparity in their style of play.
This has happened as the Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has failed to develop a standard football philosophy for all coaches to follow. Without a documented style of play, anything goes for Flames.
In the last decade, Fam has hired more than 12 coaches for the Flames who have introduced their own philosophy.
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However, no coach has lasted more than three years in charge of the Flames which means almost every two years; the Flames have played different style of football.
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To date, only Kinnah Phiri was in charge of the Flames for more years having managed the team from 2009 to 2013.
All the coaches the Flames had in the last 10 years had the luxury of introducing their own style in the absence of a proper national football philosophy.
In short, the country does not have a DNA that coaches should follow on style of play, how to develop the players and coaching development.
The immediate past Flames coach Marian Mario Marinica introduced his philosophy dubbed’ fast and very fast football’ which was criticised by many football fans.
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Interim coach Patrick Mabedi told journalists at Mpira Village in Blantyre during his first briefing that he will introduce his own style of play.
Former Flames Belgian coach Ronny van Geneugden had his own philosophy which was also abandoned when Meck Mwase was hired as his successor.
For a long time, the Flames have been known for a passing football but there is a need to restructure it to the demands of modern football.
Fam Technical Director Benjamin Kumwenda admitted that without national football philosophy it is like building a house without a foundation.
“If you do not have [a philosophy], every coach does his or her way. Sometimes, you hire a coach whose coaching principles do not correlate with the national football philosophy,” he said.
In football, every country is supposed to have a national football philosophy. Successful nations have developed their national football philosophy for the coaches to follow.
Mabedi said the country should focus on long term project.
“It is very important to have a national football philosophy. We have so many coaches who come from outside but do not understand our football culture. We need to have a documented style of play so that local or expatriate’ coaches should follow,” Mabedi said.
Former Flames defender Moses Chavula believes in absence of documented style of play, there is no future for Malawi football.
“I think philosophy comes second but first is the culture of football the country has. We play a passing game and start our build up at the back. But we bring expatriates coaches who always bring a philosophy which is different from our football,’’ Chavula, who was part of the squad that qualified for the 2010 Afcon finals in Angola, said.
Another former Flames defender, Elvis Kafoteka said it was sad that the country does not have a documented style of play.
“Instead of teaching new football, tactics and systems, we still cling to old ones. Football has evolved so we need to be strict on what type of football we should play from schools to the national teams,” he said.
For instance, Italy is famous for Cetenaccio which is a chain of tactical system in football with a strong emphasis on defence. Brazil is famous for Samba soccer which is mostly influenced.
