Former Kaizer Chiefs defender and captain Patrick Mabedi is unlikely to get the Malawi head coaching role, according to the iDiski Times sources.
Mabedi would be next in line for national team after the departure of the Flames’ head coach Mario Marinica, who was told that his contract will not be renewed.
The announcement was made after Romanian hit out at Malawi fans following a 4-0 defeat to Egypt in Lilongwe last week, claiming they were more interested in supporting the Pharaohs “superstars” such as Mohamed Salah than the home players.
They also lost 2-0 to Egypt in the first match of the double-header last month, meaning Malawi now only have a slim chance of reaching next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast in Group D.
Marinica led the Flames to their record participation in the Africa Cup of Nation finals last year, losing in the round of 16 to World Cup semi finalists Morocco.
With Marinica now gone and the thinking that Mabedi might take over from him, the president of the country Walter Nyamilandu seems set to look elsewhere.
“I don’t think Mabedi will get the Malawi job,” said the source close to Malawi nation team affairs, who is part of the CAF African School Football Championship in Durban.
“For where I’m standing he’s not ready.”
Country’s FA President Nyamilandu is also in Durban along with former Free State Stars coach, Kinnar Phiri, who now works for his country’s government.
Malawi, boasting SA based players such as their talisman Gabadinho Mhango, have three points after four matches in the group.
They will face bottom group side Ethiopia, who just like Malawi, have three points, in June. Guinea is second, levelled with Egypt on nine points in the group.
Though chances are small having lost to both leaders Egypt and once to Guinea with the latter by a solitary goal, if they beat Ethiopia and Guinea by a bigger margin, they will have a chance to book their spot in the Ivory Coast finals.
But with margins so tight, it is why the federation is shying away in giving Mabedi a head coach job.
Mabedi was the assistant coach of Steve Komphela in the 2017/18 season with Kaizer Chiefs, in what was the last season for the now Mamelodi Sundowns assistant team.
However, Komphela was forced to resign in April 2018 after Chiefs lost 2-0 to Free State Stars in the semi-final of the Nedbank Cup, with fans storming to the pitch to torch the Moses Mabhida Stadium, damaging seats and cars in the parking lots.
Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).
