Pasuwa's offer for Malawi's Flames job hangs in balance

Photo Credit: Football Association of Malawi

Zimbabwean Kalisto Pasuwa’s imminent appointment as Malawi’s Flames head coach hangs in the balance after the Sports Council questioned his selection process.

Malawi National Council of Sports spokesperson Edgar Ntulumba told state broadcaster MBC Radio 2 that they had asked the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to explain how they arrived at the decision to offer Pasuwa a contract.

Ntulumba said it was important for FAM to follow the government’s laid down recruitment process which calls for transparency by, among others, advertising the post for suitable candidates to compete.

The Sports Council position came after FAM president Fleetwood Haiya confirmed that his executive had endorsed the appointment of the former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets coach and that an offer had been made to the former Dynamos FC trainer.

Pasuwa was offered the coach post after excelling in his audition as an interim handler late last year.

FAM technical sub-committee is said to have vouched for Pasuwa as the new man in charge. He parted ways with FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, ending a trophy-laden tenure that yielded five consecutive league titles until 2023.

FAM had engaged the former Zimbabwe Dynamos trainer to handle the Flames following Patrick Mabedi’s sacking last December due to poor performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Pasuwa presided over an away goalless draw against Burundi before beating Burkina Faso 3-0 for the Flames first win of the ill-fated qualifying race, a turnaround from the previous run of four straight losses under Mabedi.

The Flames finished bottom of the group with four points, six points behind qualified Stallions. Group leaders Senegal (13 points) were the first to book a ticket to the Afcon finals.

Malawi return to action next month when the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign resumes starting with an important match against Namibia. The Flames are in fourth place in Group H, four points back of leaders Tunisia and two points behind second placed Namibia in a group that also includes Liberia, Equatorial Guinea and minnows Sao Tome and Principe.