Report crucifies coach Ernest Mtawali
As mist surrounds the future of Flames coach, Ernest Mtawali, following a dismal stint with the Malawi National Football Team, The Daily Times can reveal that there were serious divisions that eventually haunted the technical panel.
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) Technical and Youth sub-committee’s leaked report has levelled serious accusations on Mtawali, whose contract extension beyond this August, is now at the mercy of the association’s executive committee.
The executive committee is yet to discuss the recommendations from the sub-committee, but the report accused the coach of selecting national team players single-handedly, sidelining his assistant coach Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan and fellow technical panel members.
The report, which has also faulted Mtawali for employing wrong game plans/tactic and alleged biased selection of players and failure to submit technical reports and review matches, recommended against renewing contracts for Mtawali and Ramadhan.
Ironically, the committee has also proposed to re-engage Ramadhan as a caretaker coach and will face the axe too, if the results are not convincing.
“There is not team-work among members of the technical panel. The Head Coach is on one side and the rest of the team on the other. It was very clear that the Head Coach works in isolation and there is no information sharing among the Technical Panel members,” reads the report in part.
“The Head Coach does not involve, and ignores advice from the Assistant Coach, a development that has led to the Assistant Coach to simply attend the training sessions and being part of the team simply as an observer. This also extends to the Team Manager on administrative issues. It was noted that the Head Coach never consults or takes heed of advice from the Team Manager on administrative issues.”
It further stated that there was no professional relationship between Mtawali and Ramadhan and that the coach was too close to some players.
“This was very clear from the discussions and reports made available to the sub-committee. It was noted, for example, during the meeting that the Head Coach, he kept insisting that in future, Fam should not be imposing an Assistant Coach but that the Head Coach should be given an opportunity to choose his own backroom staff,” added the report.
“This was a very clear indication that he was not prepared to work with the Assistant Coach and this was very clear to see. It was also very clear from the Assistant Coach that there was no professional relationship between the two and that he had simply been reduced to a “ball-boy.”
Ironically, Ramadhan told the sub-committee that he was not given an opportunity to impart even 10 percent of his knowledge and experience to Mtawali.
“The subcommittee noted that there were efforts by the Technical Director to bring the two together, but there is clear lack of willingness on the part of the Head Coach to change,” the report stated.
As we went to press, Fam was issuing a press release pertaining to the sub-committee’s report. Mtawali reserved his comment Wednesday.
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