Despite FAM proclaiming that it is an equal opportunity employer, there has been inconsistency when hiring the Flames coach.

 The association sometimes advertises for the job or not.

Did not go through
interviews: Marinica

However, in an interview Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary Alfred Gunda said the inconsistency is due to the different circumstances under which the coaches are hired.

Immediate-past coach Mario Marinica was employed without advertising for the job or shortlisting candidates.

The Romanian’s predecessor Meck Mwase initially took over as Flames interim coach from Belgian coach Ronny Van Geneugden whose two-year contract was not extended when it expired in April 2019.

Ironically, RVG was appointed Flames coach in 2017 without FAM advertising for the job as well.

After RVG’s departure, FAM then published a vacancy for Flames head coach.

Over 50 coaches applied, but the interviews were never held as FAM executive committee resolved to appoint Mwase after he impressed at the Cosafa Cup.

Another expatriate Stephen Constantine (2007-2009) was also appointed without advertising for the post, just like his successor Kinnah Phiri (2009-2012).

In an interview, Gunda said that FAM has no standard practice of how to employ the national team coach.

He said: “In football and indeed in international sports, just like in other sectors, recruitment of staff is done in a number of  accepted ways; advertising followed by interviews; head hunting; promoting or re-allocation of  inside personnel.

“All these three are legally expected and practised methods in recruiting staff world-wide and in our case situations determines which one to use.”

The GS said circumstances dictate what criteria to use  at FAM when employing a coach.

Gunda explained: “Coaching is a result and targets-oriented professional where people are employed depending on the vision of the association and  its associated teams, the competitions in which we participate and expected results.

“We always have targets for the competitions we participate in and coaches are employed or released in regard to these targets. The schedules and calenders of the nature of the assignments determines which way we use to appoint a particular coach .

“For example, when a coach is fired or leaves in the middle of the campaign or with another one about to start, you will need caretakers and these normally will require you to look within the system and thus promotion or reassigning of staff comes into the picture.”

When put to him that FAM seems to favour head hunting when it is employing expatriates, Gunda said availability of resources play a role.

He said: “Sometimes it’s the qualities of the coaches, their immediate availability and the availability of resources that will demand that you headhunt.

“Similarly there are situations that allow us to cast the net wide by advertising and doing interviews.”

But this is contrary to other Council for Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa) members who opt to advertise for the national football team coaching job.

South Africa Football Association last year advertised for the Bafana Bafana coaching job and said it received about 200 applications seeking to replace Molefi Ntseki and eventually settled for Hugo Broos.

Zambia Football Association also floated an advert for the Chipolopolo coaching job following the departure of Croatian gaffer Aljosa Asanovic and eventually appointed the successful candidate former Chelsea team manager Avram Grant.

Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda said FAM needs to be consistent in the coach hiring process as this ensures that the association gets the right candidate for the job.

He said: “The question is when they are head hunting what criteria do they use to pick the right person for the job? This is not clearly stated.

“We have seen how coaches who are just picked from the streets perform miserably. This should be a wake-up call for FAM to stop head hunting and go for advertising for the Flames coaching job.

“Mind you, hand picking coaches for the Flames coaching job also raises questions on the credibility of the process.”

The coaches who were handpicked signed contracts with FAM while some of those that underwent interviews signed contracts with government.

Another analyst David Kanyenda said while head hunting is permissible, FAM needs to go for advertising for transparency sake.

He said: “It’s the general trend in the football industry to head hunt a desirable coach and to agree personal terms.

“Recruitment after interviews, however, renders the process more transparent and credible.

“It’s not entirely out of the ordinary to hire coaches in this manner usually because of the need to achieve expedience.”

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