Mwase more expensive than Mario Marinica, says FAM

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says it was spending more money on fired Malawi National Team Coach Meck Mwase than the amount being spent on his replacement Marian Mario Marinica.

FAM Finance Director Christopher M’dolo made the claim following newspaper reports that FAM has spent K17 million in hotel accommodation for the Romanian who joined FAM as Technical Director in November last year before being appointed Flames coach over the weekend.

According to M’dolo, FAM was spending K1.6 million per month on Mwase who was appointed Flames coach in June 2019 and guided the Malawi National Football Team to the 2021 African Cup of Nations.

In a statement today, FAM said for the past five months it has been spending K900,000 on Marinica through a special arrangement at Amaryllis Hotel.

The association said Marinica’s stay at the hotel was supposed to be a temporary arrangement for a month as Marinica was finalising his employment and work permit documentation but it turned out to be permanent after the hotel offered a discount rate of K900,000 per month including all services apart from meals (lunch and dinner).

“The public may wish to appreciate that the rentals of fully furnished houses being offered were in the ranges of K900,000- K1.2 million per month.

“Apart from the monthly rentals, FAM was expected to bear the following expenses: 24- hour security services with alarms costing between K600,000- K1.0 million, DSTV Services- MK90,000, internet Wifi- K60,000, Generator and fuel running costs- K100,000, Utilities and domestic workers- K300,000.

“This would cost the Association not less than K2.4 million per month and the K900,000 special package from Amaryllis hotel covers all these expenses which has helped FAM make significant savings of K1.5 million per month thus amounting to K7.5 million for the five months the coach has stayed in the country,” FAM said.