Clubs not blinking, FDH Bank premiership coaches in danger
By Precious Msosa
After some loud cries from domestic football fanatics of increasing the elite leagues’ cheque, an angel eventually came forth in the name of FDH Bank which dangled K5 billion kwacha for five years, translating into K1 billion per season.
With the champion carting home a whooping K200 million up from K100 million in the previous edition which TNM Plc sponsored to the tune of K500, 000. However, in this edition, it is not only the champion which will walk one-shoulder high to the bank as other teams in the prize awarding category will also have a beaming smile as the stakes are equally high.
It is such an aroma that has made the authorities of some premiership clubs not to snooze for fear of completely losing out from the mouth-watering buffet. Without doubt, they are cautious of how they are starting this journey. It is apparent that they are aware of the saying that a journey of thousand miles starts with a single step, and to them, they are very careful that they start these early steps carefully. Unfortunately, this seem to be the ultimate goal of almost every club. However; there still has to be some casualties.
But for fear of entirely being trampled and condemned to the ‘Intensive Care Unit’ (ICU), some of these clubs have started to press the alarm bells as evidenced by the respective punishment given to some coaches barely three weeks into the battle.
The smile could be short lived for Ekhaya FC’s Enos Chatama |Photo: Internet
First to taste this bitter pill was Ekhaya FC’s Enos Chatama who was sent on leave due to the team’s poor start to their first two games. His sending on leave was however, secretive as the team could not come out clearly as to why he had been sent on the sabbatical at a-such infancy stage of the league. The team simply kept on insisting that the coach had gone on leave just as it is the case with any other employee in any formal employment.
By then, Ekhaya had lost 2-1 to Blue Eagles and drew 1 all against new entrants Red Lions.
But it was until Chairperson for National Coaches Association (NCA) Aubrey Nankhuni told the media that he was concerned with what Ekhaya had done. He said Chatama informed them of the development.
“We are very concerned with how some teams are reacting to the results of their early games. It is better that the teams should first be giving game ultimatums and after failing to reach the targets, that is when they can be suspending coaches. After all, the league has just started,” he told Zodiak radio.
After Chatama had gone on leave, his two assistants Fundi Akidu and Moses Chavula took charge, but they were not fortunate either as they were welcomed by a 1-0 defeat to Civo in Lilongwe. In their second game on the driving seat against Moyale in the fourth week, the former Flames stars managed to register a 2 nil win against the soldiers.
Creck Sporting has never won in their first four games under Elia Kananji |Photo: Creck Facebook page
The two ex-Flames players have managed to take the cow boys to position nine on the log table with four points from the same number of games.
With Chatama in the cold at Ekhaya, Lilongwe-based Kamuzu Barracks also followed suit by booting out head coach Tione Mhone and his assistant Joseph Chilapondwa for the same reasons. Mhone had led the soldiers to two defeats in their first two games and a draw. They lost 2 nil to Silver and 1 nil to debutants Luanar Mitundu before drawing with Karonga United.
A new broom in the name of Kenwood Nkhoma proved crucial as he led the thumping of Creck Sporting 3-1 in his first assignment with the soldiers. They are now on 10th position also from four games.
After the soldiers had put their house in order, the firing shots of coaches in the FDH Bank premiership went to Goshen City Dedza Dynamos where Alex Ngwira was next. The former Mighty Wanderers gaffer was given a three game ultimatum following a three-game winless streak. As we enter into week five, his fate is in the next two games having already lost one. To make it even worse, the Prophet Shepherd Bushiri sponsored side could not even find the ‘miracle’ goals as the strikers couldn’t just find the back of the net.
Meanwhile, things also looks gloomy at Creck Sporting where Elia Kananji is also in hot soup. Kananji who is fondly called Guardiola by his admirers after likening his unique coaching technique’s to Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola; has ironically failed to find the niche at Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture sponsored side. In the four games they have played, they have never won a game save for the two draws.
Kenwood Nkhoma has started well with Kamuzu Barracks |Photo: Kenwood Facebook page
Just like their well sponsored counterparts Goshen City Dedza Dynamos, Creck is languishing in the relegation zone on position 15 with just two points while Dedza is on 16, all from four games.
With fate being what it is, of the four clubs who have so far raised the alarm following the decimal performance, three are handsomely sponsored with Ekhaya completing the list after the status quo. Perhaps this is the more reason why management of these teams have rushed into the treatment room to save the situation and ensure they compete to the level of their investment.
