FCB Nyasa Big Bullets coach Peter Mponda has asked Kenyan defender Clyde Senaji to be a better player than his local teammates if he wants to cement his place in the starting lineup.
Mponda made the remarks at the club’s head office in Blantyre Friday when he addressed the media ahead of the Airtel Top 8 semifinal against Karonga United at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe Saturday.
Senaji has not played for Bullets for the past three weeks since the TNM Super League match against Mighty Wanderers.
During the match played at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Mponda pulled the East African out after 20 minutes.
The move is said to have angered Senaji who was also reportedly unhappy with being played out of position.
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Mponda had deployed him as a left back instead of his preferred central back position.
Since then, the defender has not been reporting for training.
Mponda said while with the Malawi National Team at the Cosafa Cup in South Africa, he was told that Senaji was down with flu.
“After my return from South Africa, I was surprised that the player still did not turn up for training, only to learn that he had asked for two weeks off. But what I can say is that the team is where it is now because of the players who are playing now. We made him captain, only to realise that it was a mistake.
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“So we stripped him of the armband and gave it to Lloyd Aaron. The question I am asking now is how many games did Senaji play for Bullets last season? It was less than 12. And how many games has he played this season? Very few. Now I want him to show that he is better than our local players. He is a professional and he should live up to that,” the Flames assistant coach said.
Senaji was not readily available for a comment as he is reported to be outside the country for personal issues.
Mponda also disclosed that midfielders Peter Banda, Yankho Singo and Chikumbutso Salima are all fit and might play.
“The only player who is ruled out is Chrispin Mapemba who is still nursing a long term injury. But the other players who were injured are all fit. Banda is in a 50-50 situation but he might play a role,” he said.
The Bullets and Karonga match will be preceded by another semifinal encounter between Silver Strikers and Civil Service United at the same venue.
