FAM keep Kalisto Pasuwa waiting

Zimpapers Sports Hub

FORMER Zimbabwe coach Kalisto Pasuwa’s pending appointment to the Flames job has stalled following the bickering between the Football Association of Malawi and their government.

Reports from Malawi yesterday suggested that FAM, who had made the recommendations to give the job to the Zimbabwean mentor, were stopped from effecting the appointment because they had allegedly not followed due process. But FAM accused the government of shifting its stance on the issue.

The newspaper said the Malawian government, through the Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS), halted the recruitment process after noticing that FAM hired Pasuwa without following procedures that include advertising, short-listing and interviewing the coach.

However, FAM chief executive officer Alfred Gunda said the association was surprised by the stand as MNCS chief executive officer Henry Kamata had cleared them on the matter.

Gunda alleged that both parties had already agreed on the matter three weeks ago in a meeting.

“For FAM, it comes as a surprise that the council is speaking like this, three weeks after the same recognised the dynamics of approaches to recruitment. Maybe the question should be: what has changed with MNCS?

“On our part, the letter they have written to us to explain which of the processes we used is clear, and I find it is not supposed to be tantamount to talking about halting processes,” he said. Gunda said the association wrote to the Sports Council, outlining FAM’s resolution, and then made a request for guidance on the commitment of the government to contribute towards the coach’s remuneration.

“For us, that is important for purposes of putting a plan for the financing of the position. This was done with a clear understanding that was arrived at during a meeting that the Minister of Sports convened three weeks ago,” Gunda said. However, Kamata told The Nation Newspaper on Monday that they wanted a normal recruitment process to be followed.

“They (FAM) wrote to us informing us about their decision to hire Pasuwa, and we have responded to them that since part of the incoming coach’s remuneration will come from the government, then they will have to follow normal hiring processes.

“This means they need to flight an advert, short-list applicants, and arrange interviews to choose the successful candidate. That is how it ought to be done; otherwise, they cannot appoint someone for a public office, as it will involve public resources. So, proper channels need to be followed,” Kamata was quoted as saying. Pasuwa has accepted the job, and his management team, led by Dee Shorai Muchineripi, has been constantly engaging with the FAM executive committee on the deal.

The FAM technical sub-committee had also strongly recommended that the association hire Pasuwa as the new man in charge after he impressed during his brief tenure as interim coach towards the end of last year.

Pasuwa parted ways with FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, ending a trophy-laden tenure that yielded five consecutive league titles until 2023.

The former Zimbabwe international also won a host of cup titles. FAM had engaged the former Zimbabwe and Dynamos coach to handle the Flames following Patrick Mabedi’s sacking last year due to poor performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Pasuwa presided over an away goalless draw against Burundi before beating Burkina Faso 3-0 for the Flames’ first win of the ill-fated qualifying race, marking a turnaround from the previous run of four straight losses under Mabedi. The Flames finished bottom of the group with four points, six points behind qualified Stallions.

Group leaders Senegal (13 points) were the first to book a ticket to the AFCON finals.

Malawi will return to action at the end of this month when they take part in the African Nations Championships (CHAN) play-offs.

They will then resume their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a date against COSAFA rivals Namibia. The Flames are in fourth place in Group H, four points behind leaders Tunisia and two points behind second-placed Namibia in a group that also includes Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, and minnows Sao Tome and Principe.