Godspeed RVG!
By Mphatso Malidadi:
Former Flames mentor Ronny van Geneugden, (RVG), finally left the country Wednesday after an unsuccessful two-year spell with the national football team.
It was an emotional moment at Chileka Airport in Blantyre as some of his trusted lieutenants such as Peter Mponda and Aubrey Nankhuni bade farewell to the Belgian.
The Chosen One and The Special One were some of the headlines that shook the nation a day after RVG arrived in the country through the same airport on April 7 2017.
Speaking before departing, RVG said it was clear that his contract was not going to be renewed as records indicate that the country did not renew contracts of 10 of his predecessors.
However, the Belgian raised eyebrows on the manner in which his contract was not renewed.
“When the decision not to renew my contract [was arrived at] the [Football Association of Malawi] President [Walter Nyamilandu], General Secretary [Alfred Gunda] and many others from the secretariat, executive and my fellow technical members called and encouraged me whereas the Technical Director [John Kaputa] and members of the Technical Subcommittee didn’t bother. Even though we had different visions and philosophy, they should have been open and called as well. This is not a good sign for the future of football in Malawi,” he said.
RVG, whose two-year stint saw him chalking two wins, 12 draws and seven defeats in 21 games, said the nation must have patience with the next coach and Flames players.
“You need to believe in the future Flames and give the technical panel time and don’t look into results too much. Some people were saying I won two games, forgetting that the Flames were unbeaten in 12 games. So, these players must be given a chance to develop and learn through mistakes because that’s the only way they will gain experience and maturity,” he said.
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