Lilongwe, Malawi, 2 June 2014: South Africa Premier Soccer League (PSL) side, Free State Stars has reshuffled its technical panel following which former Malawi national soccer coach Kinnah Phiri has been assigned the position of Technical Director.
Phiri helped Free State Stars escape relegation to the lower National First Division last season.
He was engaged as a last minute ditch when the club’s survival prospects in Premier Soccer League (PSL) looked dire.
He had earlier been engaged as an assistant coach by the club, but later promoted to a position of head coach late last season in order to save the sinking ship.
Phiri helped Free State Stars escape relegation to the lower National First Division last season.
He was engaged as a last minute ditch when the club’s survival prospects in Premier Soccer League (PSL) looked dire.
He had earlier been engaged as an assistant coach by the club, but later promoted to a position of head coach late last season in order to save the sinking ship.
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Following the latest development another former Malawi national soccer team coach Tom Saintfiet a Belgian has been engaged as the club’s new head coach to replace Phiri.
The Belgian, according to South Africa’s online soccer magazine, Soccer Laduma has been already unveiled to the players ahead of the Premier Soccer League new season kickoff next month.
“Sources have told the Siya crew that the Belgian coach, who was until recently in charge of Malawi, was spotted in the Ea Lla Koto camp, and has already been unveiled to the players,” the magazine reported.
“Kinnah Phiri is now expected to take up the Technical director role at the club,” it added.
Saintfiet was controversially engaged as volunteer coach by Malawi FA with a promised bonus of $10,000 on agreement that he should guide the Flames to beat Nigeria in the final of Brazil World Cup qualifiers.
But the bonus was later dropped by the Belgian himself after the local media raised questions on the manner of his engagement was done and the financial status of the cash-strapped FA.
However, the Flames lost to the Super Eagles 2-0.If Malawi had won the game Nigeria would have been booted out of the World Cup.
At the time Nigeria need a point to qualify to Brazil and it was a must win game for Malawi.
Apart from Malawi, the Belgian coached; Zimbabwe, Yemen, Ethiopia, Namibia. He also had a spell with the Super Eagles as Technical Director.
The recruitment of the Belgian by the South African club comes hard on the heels of its failed bid to coax Uganda national soccer team coach, Milutin Micho Sredojevic from his two year contract with Uganda FA.
The Serbian confirmed earlier this week that the South African club and several others on the continent and beyond in the Middle East had made overtures to him to get his signature.
He told the South African online soccer magazine that he turned down all the offers because he still has a contract with Uganda FA and that the national team he is managing is in the midst of preparations for 2015 Morocco Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“Unfortunately, I have a contract with FUFA here and the terms and conditions agreed by the two parties means that I cannot leave before it has expired,” he explained.
“I have to respect my contract with FUFA because right now we are in the middle of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers,” he added.
The 44-yearold Serbian-born tactician has a year to go from his two-year contract he signed with Federation of Ugandan Football Association (FUFA) in May 2013.
Uganda will face Equatorial Guinnea in the 2015Morrocco Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in few weeks time.
The Belgian, according to South Africa’s online soccer magazine, Soccer Laduma has been already unveiled to the players ahead of the Premier Soccer League new season kickoff next month.
“Sources have told the Siya crew that the Belgian coach, who was until recently in charge of Malawi, was spotted in the Ea Lla Koto camp, and has already been unveiled to the players,” the magazine reported.
“Kinnah Phiri is now expected to take up the Technical director role at the club,” it added.
Saintfiet was controversially engaged as volunteer coach by Malawi FA with a promised bonus of $10,000 on agreement that he should guide the Flames to beat Nigeria in the final of Brazil World Cup qualifiers.
But the bonus was later dropped by the Belgian himself after the local media raised questions on the manner of his engagement was done and the financial status of the cash-strapped FA.
However, the Flames lost to the Super Eagles 2-0.If Malawi had won the game Nigeria would have been booted out of the World Cup.
At the time Nigeria need a point to qualify to Brazil and it was a must win game for Malawi.
Apart from Malawi, the Belgian coached; Zimbabwe, Yemen, Ethiopia, Namibia. He also had a spell with the Super Eagles as Technical Director.
The recruitment of the Belgian by the South African club comes hard on the heels of its failed bid to coax Uganda national soccer team coach, Milutin Micho Sredojevic from his two year contract with Uganda FA.
The Serbian confirmed earlier this week that the South African club and several others on the continent and beyond in the Middle East had made overtures to him to get his signature.
He told the South African online soccer magazine that he turned down all the offers because he still has a contract with Uganda FA and that the national team he is managing is in the midst of preparations for 2015 Morocco Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“Unfortunately, I have a contract with FUFA here and the terms and conditions agreed by the two parties means that I cannot leave before it has expired,” he explained.
“I have to respect my contract with FUFA because right now we are in the middle of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers,” he added.
The 44-yearold Serbian-born tactician has a year to go from his two-year contract he signed with Federation of Ugandan Football Association (FUFA) in May 2013.
Uganda will face Equatorial Guinnea in the 2015Morrocco Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in few weeks time.
By: Joel Chirwa
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