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Pasuwa in frame for Flames job

Sport
Former Warriors coach, Kalisto Pasuwa is set to engage the Football Association of Malawi (FAM), who have inquired about his availability, as they seek to appoint a new national team coach ahead of the 2019 Confederation of African Football (Caf) Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers starting in June.

Former Warriors coach, Kalisto Pasuwa is set to engage the Football Association of Malawi (FAM), who have inquired about his availability, as they seek to appoint a new national team coach ahead of the 2019 Confederation of African Football (Caf) Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers starting in June.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

Kalisto Pasuwa
Kalisto Pasuwa

The Flames coaching job vacancy follows the expiry of Ernest Mtawali’s one-year contract and FAM, like Zifa here, have begun the search for a new coach.

Pasuwa’s manager, Gibson Mahachi yesterday confirmed that FAM had inquired about the former Warriors gaffer.

“They made an inquiry about Pasuwa’s availability. We have not engaged them yet. We hope to start the engagements soon,” he said.

“As for his notice, it ends today (yesterday) and Zifa are aware of their obligations. We will just wait to hear from them.”

Zifa decided against renewing Pasuwa’s contract, after the Warriors’ failure at the 2017 Afcon finals, where they fell in the group stage.

Pasuwa has been serving a one-month notice, which lapsed yesterday. He has since attracted attention from potential suitors, with Malawi showing interest in engaging him.

A number of coaches have also been linked with the job, with former Warriors goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar among those reported to have applied.

Former Warriors coach, Ian Gorowa, former Zambia coach, Honour Janza and Paolo Duarte are also in contention.

In an interview with our sister paper Standardsport recently, Grobbelaar said he was willing to take up the Malawi job, with the long goal of helping the Flames qualify for the 2019 and 2021 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

However, reports suggest Pasuwa is the favourite candidate to land the job.

The former Dynamos coach won a lot of admirers in Malawi after edging the Flames 2-1 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier last year before a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture in Harare in June, handed them the ticket to the finals in Gabon.

It was the first time in 11 years for the Warriors to take part at the African Cup of Nations finals.

FAM has since sent a proposal to the Malawi government seeking a 50-50 salary sharing system for an expatriate coach.

They still await a decision from the country’s President Peter Mutharika.

The Flames have a tough African Nations Championship qualifier against Madagascar in April, followed by the 2019 Afcon qualifiers against reigning African champions Cameroon, Morocco and the winner of a preliminary round tie between Comoros and Mauritius.