Malawi make Mtawali coach amid concerns

Former Malawi star Ernest Mtawali was elevated from caretaker to permanent national coach this weekend on a one-year contract, the football association said. The unusually short deal -- the traditional minimum contract is two years -- after Mtawali was put in temporary charge two months ago illustrates concerns the Malawian football head has about local coaches. National football association president Walter Nyamilandu wanted Mtawali, a creative midfielder two decades ago, to assist a foreign coach. But the Malawian sports ministry, which pays the national coach, said they lacked the funds necessary to entice an outsider. "We have tried and tested most of the (Malawian) coaches and the remaining ones will not be good enough for us to find the right candidate," Nyamilandu told the BBC before Mtawali was chosen. "The job is very demanding and the expertise is very rare locally. When you settle for less the outcome is never desirable." Malawi sacked another former national star, Young Chimodzi, after losing their opening 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at home to Zimbabwe two months ago. That 2-1 defeat leaves the 'Flames' needing an away victory against much-improved Swaziland next month to retain a realistic chance of winning Group L and reaching the finals in Gabon. An even tougher task for the 48-year-old coach will be qualifying for the group phase of the 2018 World Cup elimination competition. Should Malawi overcome first-round opponents Tanzania during October, they must tackle No. 1-ranked African team Algeria a month later. Malawi, who have reached the Cup of Nations tournament twice, are ranked 30 in Africa and 108 in the world. The new coach will be assisted by Burundian Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan, handler of Malawian champions Big Bullets. Possessing an abundance of crowd-pleasing skills, Mtawali featured for clubs in South Africa, Argentina, France and Saudi Arabia.