By BK
It was on Friday, during the day on May 3, 2024 when Peter Wadawa saw Mighty Mukuru Wanderers board of director Tiya Somba-Banda calling.
“It has been long before I spoke to him, what is it that he wanted to tell me?” such were questions which Wadabwa had in his mind. “Anyway, let me answer it,” said the 38 year-old striker.
Tiya started asking Wadabwa about his business, and later he started asking him about his football career. It was a short conversation.
He promised to call back in two days’ time but he did not.
“It was him who called and promised to call back, so I had no questions on why he failed to call back as he had promised,” he said.
Boom! Another phone call, this one from Wanderers chief executive officer, Panganeni Ndovi. This conversation was straight to the point.
Ndovi called him on Monday, May 6, 2024.
“He told me to meet him on Tuesday at Kamuzu Stadium during Wanderers training. He said the team has settled to hire me as their striker’s trainer,” he said.
Come Tuesday, May 7 a one-year deal was signed with options to extend.
“I never expected this even if I played for the team. Also, I have not done the coaching course but I am capable of training strikers as I have been doing this from the days I was playing for ESCOM United,” he said.
Why Wadabwa?
No Wanderers follower will forget Wadabwa. He started his career at Wanderers Youth back in 2000s but he made his name in the 2016-17 season when he partnered well with Esau Kanyenda up front.
In the 2016 season he scored 16 league goals but lost the golden boot to Richard Mbulu.
He was the man to watch as he was voted player of the season in July 2016. At the end of the season, Wadabwa won big during the Wanderers gala where he was voted player of the season and best striker. He went home with a fridge, LG plasma screen 42 inch plus K380 000 in cash prizes.
In that year, Wadabwa was also voted Super League of Malawi’s most improved player.
“It was a season to remember,” he says.
In the same season, on December 16, Wadabwa scored one of the goals he will never forget in a brace against Masters Security.
For that wonder goal, he received the ball from Stanly Sanudi. People expected that after his double one-two, he would pass back to Sanudi for a cross.
However, Wadabwa could not pass the ball to Sanudi, he turned to the right, then moved to the left and he released a shot with his left foot to the far post beating goalkeeper Chimwemwe Kunkwawa who could not move even an inch.
“The only goalkeeper who gave me a tough time was late Charles Swini,” he said.
Wadabwa’s football career
Wadabwa started his football career around the 1990s when he was playing for Mbawala Bushbucks in Blantyre as a midfielder.
He joined Wanderers Youth in 2001/2 where coach Bob Mpinganjira switched him from a midfielder to a striker.
While playing for Wanderers, Wadabwa was approached by Silver Strikers officials while playing at Silver Stadium during Coca-Cola games in 2002. It was the late Dave Mpesi who recommended him to Silver.
Wanderers tried to block the move but could not manage it as Silver had already agreed with Wadabwa’s parents.
His parents wanted him to be at a boarding school and a recommendation was made to send him to Double Vision School.
From 2003 he joined Bankers where he played one season. He made history when he scored past Wanderers at Silver Stadium. On that day, he dribbled past defender James Sangala before beating Vales Kamzere in goals.
“Vales mpaka adandinena kuti ndine wa mankhwala chifukwa ndidamudyetsa shaba Sangala komanso kumuchinya Vales pafupi,” he said.
While there he scored 9 league goals which were not enough to win the golden boot, eventually taken by Aggrey Kanyenda.
By the end of that season he left for Jomo Cosmos in South Africa where he had a short stint. He returned to Malawi and joined ESCOM United in 2006.
Wadabwa played one season at ESCOM and returned to South Africa to join Thanda Royal Zulu. From there he joined Golden Arrows for a season before terminating his deal to join Blackburn Rovers for one season and later returned to Malawi in 2014/15, rejoining Silver.
In 2016 Wanderers’ late Jack Chamangwana wanted to sign Green Harawa of Silver Strikers who was a top striker then but opted for Mozambique.
That was when Chamangwana approached Wadabwa, who was partnering Harawa at Silver, as a second option.
In 2016 he joined Wanderers, playing with Kanyenda they scored a number of goals helping the team to win the league in 2017 and Fisd Cup in 2018.
It was the last season Wanderers won the league till today.
On January 9, 2017 Wadabwa left Wanderers together with Joseph Kamwendo for trials in Japan as part of an agreement with Be Forward, they stayed for two months and returned with nothing to show.
On March 4, 2019 he dumped Wanderers for Desportivo de Maputo in Mozambique where he penned a one-year deal. It was the current Wanderers goalkeeper trainer Simplex Nthala who facilitated the deal when he was also in Mozambique.
He made the move after Wanderers refused to renew his contract and the team also cut his salary, a move which disappointed him. Going to Mozambique was a big relief as he was getting three times higher than what he was getting at Wanderers.
Why nicknamed Pierre?
Back in 2009, Wadabwa was a hot cake in Malawi when playing for the national team, the Flames. He was part of the squad which qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010 under coach Kinnah Phiri.
Up to date, Wadabwa does not understand why he was nicknamed Pierre. When asked he said: “It was Danger Williams Gondwa who gave me that name,” he said.
We contacted Gondwa and he laughed: “While at MIJ FM when Peter was playing for Thanda, he came for Flames camping. So he came to the radio station when I was doing radio promos. So I asked him his nickname. He said I should see what to do. I gave him Pierre as his name also starts with P. It was around 2010.”
Is Wadabwa capable of nurturing a striker?
He thinks he has what it takes to help strikers score goals. “I have been doing this back then when I was at ESCOM. I used to help strikers and one of them is Luka Bruno Milanzi,” he said.
Wadabwa is well known for his runs, dribbles and his skill in using his head.
He feels Wanderers strikers will benefit a lot from him on the positioning plus shooting on goals.
Things he will do with Wanderers strikers
His first work will be to recommend that Gaddie Chirwa should be playing in front as a striker and not operating from the wing.
“He has a lot of attributes in terms of speed and dribbling and technique, I feel like if he plays in that position it will help. It is a process of course as I have just started work this week,” he said.
“I want to teach him what I was doing, and then I will recommend him to the coaches when that is done.”
