By MK

The month of October ended with the Football Association of Malawi making a bold decision to part ways with then Flames head coach Patrick Mabedi after a string of poor results.

He was fired after 18 games in charge of the Flames, winning 5, drawn 5 and defeats in 8 games which represented 27.8 percent.

A decision to fire Mabedi came about following a poor run, which has seen the flames occupying bottom place in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nation qualifiers having gone 4 games without a win.

Following Mabedi’s departure, names of a potential replacement were flying around with FCB Nyasa Big Bullets mentor Kalisto Pasuwa being the front runner.

The other name linked to the job was that of Peter Mponda a former Flames captain himself who is now performing wonders at Silver Strikers where his team is yet to taste defeat in the Super league and is poised to win the league with the Central Bankers.

So, after all social media rumours the FA finally settled for the Zimbabwean coach Pasuwa as head coach with Mponda as his deputy, of course on interim basis just to see the Flames through in their remaining two AFCON qualifiers before a permanent coach is appointed.

And the duo’s immediate assignment was to release a squad of players ahead of the two AFCON qualifiers against Burundi away and Burkina Faso at home next week.

On Wednesday evening Pasuwa released a 25-man-squad of both local and foreign based players.

The highlights of Pasuwa’s squad is the recalling of South Africa’ based forward Gabadinho Mhango who had fallen out of favour during the tenure of Mabedi.

Also making a return to the squad is forgotten Romania based defender Charles Petro as well as Mozambican based forward Richard Mbulu who is a long term strike partner of Mhango.

The squad was never short of surprises as one of the team’s longest serving members Stanley Sanudi has been omitted alongside another senior player midfielder Chimwemwe Idana—of course it is rumoured that the two have been dropped on disciplinary grounds.

Another omission is that of Zambia based forward Chifundo Mphasi who was a favourite under Mabedi.

While Pasuwa has been given charge of the team on a temporary basis, it is clear that he wants to build his own project as evidenced from the recalling of Mhango, Petro and Mbulu who were all influential in the team’s 2022 AFCON qualification where the team reached the round of 16.

Pasuwa’s predecessor had issues with the said old players which he openly criticized in the local media only for him to go back to them every time things go haywire.

Mabedi was emphasizing that he was building a team for the future but from the display on the pitch it was different.

For instance, ahead of the back to back qualifiers against Senegal, the coach dropped his blue eyed boy Mphasi whom he had touted as a long term replacement for Mhango.

When things did not go according to plan, away in Senegal the coach recalled Mphasi and was featured as a substitute in the return match.

This was evidence enough that the coach had no plan for the team as a player he had just dropped some four days ago was back in the field of play days later.

One thing that was clear under Mabedi was that he had a strained relationship with his players.

At one time he told the local media that the country does not have a left back who can fit in his system and was forced to play a right footer Gomezgani Chirwa as left back but was heavily exposed in the game against Burundi and he was dropped for the subsequent games.

Mabedi failed to instil trust in his own troops and this is where Pasuwa should start in fixing the team.

Under Mabedi the lack of discipline was all over for people to see.

At one time when Mhango was substituted during the Four Nations tournament, the player went straight to the dressing room and the coach defended the move saying there was nothing wrong.

Call-up

Goalkeepers: William Thole (Mighty Mukuru Wanderers), George Chikooka (Silver Strikers) and Richard Chimbamba (FCB Nyasa Big Bullets)