Marinica Likely to Leave Flames Post
It might not require the Malawi National football team coach, Mario Marinica to voluntarily resign from his job as the Football Association of Malawi has already made a decision to partways with him.
A reliable source at FAM has confided in this publication that the association’s technical committee has already submitted recommendations not to extend the contract for the out of favour football tactician immediately after the humiliating defeat at the hands Egypt at home, Bingu National Stadium.
“Flames supporters should not be worried, Marinica’s stint with our national team has come to the end, we have submitted our recommendations not to extend his contract with our national team, he has failed in all the targets set for him,” he said.
His comment coincide with the views of the minister of defence, Harry Mkandawire who expressed his disappointment calling for immediate sacking the former FAM’s expatriate Technical Director whose stint with the Flames has been a mix bag disappointing many soccer enthusiasts.
“I can only advise FAM to fire that expatriate coach who seems to have failed to take our team to the heights set in his contract and his firing would have happened even yesterday before this humiliating loss,” Mkandawire said.
The defence minister was among top officials alongside the Egyptians High Commissioner who were detained in the stadium following some hooligans who were pelting objects forcing the police to fire teargas outside the stadium.
Meanwhile, a renowned Human Rights advocate, Undule. Mwakasungula has joined calls from some quarters of the society who are calling on FAM to immediately fire Marinica.
Through a statement he issued late on Tuesday seen by Malawi Daily Telegraph Mwakasungula, says firing the coach will help to save the country from further embarrassment, adding that the ‘Flames ship’ started sinking from the time the FA hired him.
“It is not a secret that Malawi has been performing poorly from the time the foreign coach was recruited. Every Malawian is wondering why FAM continues to back him despite the positive results are not coming as far as the national soccer team is concerned.”
But speaking in Lilongwe, Marinica, said he will not resign despite the humiliating 4-0 thumping by Egypt in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group D qualifier at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Tuesday.