For the first time in seven years, there will be no recognised foreign coach in domestic football, Malawi News Sport has established.
In the season just ended, former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets coach Kalisto Pasuwa was the last man standing after Burundian mentor Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan resigned from his post as Mighty Mukuru Wanderers coach with just eight matches into the season.
Newly crowned TNM Super League champions Silver Strikers had local coach Peter Mponda, who has since taken over from Pasuwa at Bullets after he resigned from the Lilongwe-based club.
But the other 14 Super League clubs went into the 2024 season with local coaches.
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At this stage, it looks like all the 16 clubs will have local coaches.
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Some football analysts have described the paradigm shift by the clubs as a glimmer of hope for local coaches.
The analysts are of the view that local clubs have started trusting in local coaches.
Bullets acting Chief Executive Officer Albert Chigoga said by hiring Mponda it meant the club values local coaches.
“It is not a loss of appetite. In our case, we value Malawian coaches, the same way we value foreign coaches,’’ Chigoga said.
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Apparently, Pasuwa, who parted ways with Bullets at the end of his contract last month, was the only successful foreign coach in domestic football.
The Zimbabwean won 16 trophies with Bullets in six years— titles on the bounce. including five TNM Super League
He won 149 matches, managed 49 draws and had 25 defeats in 223 matches in six years.
Wanderers are also set to hire Bob Mpinganjira as permanent coach on a one-year deal.
Mpinganjira, who replaced Meck Mwase midway through the season, helped the club win the 2024 Castel Challenge Cup after beating Mzuzu City Hammers 1-0 at Bingu National Stadium.
Wanderers Chief Executive Officer Panganeni Ndovi insisted the decision had not been finalised.
Two weeks ago, Wanderers president and business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira said the club would look at investing in a local coach like Bob.
“When we get foreign coaches, they come here as mercenaries. Within just a month, they want to resign and go,” Mpinganjira told the media.
In 2022 season, Wanderers hired Briton Mark Harrison as a coach who won the Airtel Top 8 before resigning from his post.
Previously, Wanderers had foreign coaches such as the late Eddie May and Rahman Gumbo.
Gumbo helped Wanderers win the 2006 TNM Super League title.
On the other hand, Silver have hired two foreign coaches in the last four years.
Dutchman Pieter De Jongh was the immediate past foreign coach, having replaced Zambian coach Daniel Kabwe.
Silver Chief Executive Officer Patrick Chimimba said they are now focusing on empowering local coaches.
“We empower our own [coaches] and we get the results. For a long time, most of the clubs have engaged the services of foreign coaches, some have been successful but most have been journeymen no better than our own coaches,’’ he said.
Silver will go into the 2025 season with Peter Mgangira who signed a two-year deal as Mponda’s replacement.
Meanwhile, Songwe Border United have attracted the attention of an Italian coach, Giusepe Cristaldi, who has expressed interest to coach the side.
If the side recruits, then the only foreign coach in Malawi’s elite league would be him.
National Football Coaches Association (NFCA) General Secretary Davie Mpima said the clubs should trust the local coaches.
“We are happy that the teams are empowering local coaches. But we urge them to invest in the local coaches by sending them to trainings abroad,” Mpima said.
While clubs have lost appetite on foreign coaches, the country has recently seen the influx of foreign players.
Currently, the league has over 20 registered players from Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Ghana.
