The Flames have, over the years, been dubbed perennial underachievers in international competitions, but surely they would have to remove that tag Sunday when they begin their 2016 Cosafa Castle Cup campaign against Angola.
The regional competition underway in Namibia could spell either doom or glory for beleaguered Flames coach Ernest Mtawali, who has since replacing Young Chimodzi last August, managed three wins, lost five matches with five draws.
This represents a 25 percent win rate for the former Flames midfield maestro who was given a performance-based contract by Football Association of Malawi (Fam) while being challenged to qualify for Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.
But last Sunday’s 0-3 defeat to Zimbabwe ended the Flames’ hopes of qualification as they have two points from five matches.
With the writing seemingly on the wall, the Flames’ first ever Cosafa Cup success could be Mtawali’s salvation after experiencing a difficult reign characterised by constant changes to the squad and falling out with senior players.
Fam’s Technical Sub- Committee Chairperson, James Mwenda, also observed that it was imperative for the Flames to do well during the Cosafa Cup.
“We have not necessarily given the coach specific targets. But we only expect the best from the Flames because we know Malawians have been disgruntled with the performance in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The team has to do better in Namibia,” he said.
Mwenda said his committee would soon meet to decide Mtawali’s future with the Cosafa Cup critical to the overall assessment.
“One area that he has done well is on the introduction of new players to the team. That has been a positive impact. But the sad part is that we have not had desired results. His performance has been two folds,” he said.
After a goalless draw against Namibia in a warm-up match last Wednesday, Mtawali said he expected a better performance in the Cosafa Cup.
“We need to defend better and show aggression in attack. We now have a true picture of our strong squad and these boys just need to play together for long to form a good team,” said Mtawali who has been defiant that he was not under any pressure following recent results.
So, the Flames go into tomorrow’s match on a significant mission to restore their tattered pride, but for Mtawali, it is the last throw of the dice and the final opportunity to prove his worth.
After playing Angola, the Flames meet Mauritius on Tuesday and Lesotho on Thursday to complete their group assignments. South Africa await the group winner in the quarterfinals.
The Flames won the Cosafa Cup Plate Division last year after being eliminated in the main competition by Mozambique.
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