Analysts: RVG is being fooled, he is coaching “Madalas”

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Ronny Van Geneugden

…hits hard on backroom staff…

Renowned football analysts have laughed off sentiments made by Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Vice President James Mwenda that Flames Head Coach Ronny Van Geneugden needs patience from Malawians as he is rebuilding a depleted national team.

Mwenda, who heads the FA’s sub-technical committee, told Malawi state broadcaster MBC that the coming in of the Belgium tactician has helped Malawi to improve especially when playing away from home as the team is now able to score goals.

James Mwenda
James Mwenda: The coming in of RVG has helped Malawi to improve.

But reacting to the claims, Paul Kamanga, Chisomo Ngulube and Steve Liwewe Banda trashed Mwenda saying RVG has nothing new to offer to the team as he lacks experience.

The panelists, before questioning the criteria used in appointing Van Geneugden as the team’s Head Coach, demanded for the firing of the former Belgium midfielder and the entire backroom staff.

“The coach has nothing new to offer to the team and it’s very unfortunate that the whole FAM Vice President is pleading with Malawians to give him more time. More time for what? RVG and his backroom staff must go.

How can Mwenda ask for more time for a coach who is failing to beat Lesotho? These guys are not serious,” said Ngulube in a very emotional tone.

Kamanga then advised RVG to stop fooling himself into thinking that he is building a team around a youthful side claiming that the majority of his players are “Madalas” who are not revealing their real ages.

“He is being fooled to believe that he is building a national team around a very youthful side but truth be told here, he is being cheated because the majority of his players are adults who are very good when it comes to age cheating,” he said.

On his part, Liwewe Banda said he was very surprised with the sentiments saying you build a team using under 17, 20 and 23 but not the senior national team.

“You don’t use a senior team to build a national team, you use junior teams. Senior national team is about results and nothing else,” he explained.

He also questioned the FA’s decision to employ Gerald Phiri, Deklerk Msakakuona and Peter Mponda as RVG’s deputies despite the trio not achieving anything at their previous clubs.

“Look at RVG’s deputies. They have achieved nothing and you expect them to deliver at the national team? It was absurd for FAM to employ these guys because they are failures too and expect nothing from them as long as the team is concerned,” he concluded.

Under RVG, the Flames have played 1054 minutes (thus 11 games plus added time), scoring five goals, losing four times, winning twice and drawing five times.

On Saturday, Malawi played to a 1-all draw against Lesotho in readiness for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Morocco in March.