English coach of Malawi resigns via SMS

Stephen Constantine, the English coach of the Malawi national soccer team, has spoiled the reputation of all European coaches in the minds of Malawi's Football Association and all Malawians by making an embarrassing resignation through a text message.

Reading some Malawian newspapers, banners scream, ‘No more English or European coaches in future, enough is enough’.

This incident happens barely a year after the German Burkhad Ziese, who once coached Ghana and Zambia, was dragged from the field of play when refused to accept termination of his services for undermining and castigating authorities.

Ziese at one time challenged to meet Head of State to talk about football, an idea Malawians widely described as silly and disrespectful considering that Office of President is a revered authority and can only talk about a subject at own discretion and not being cajoled by anyone.

Trench of defeats

Constantine, who is believed to have once coached Nepal, Vietnam, India and Cyprus where he was fired for dragging teams into a trench of defeats, last month dumped Malawi national team in Mozambique after losing a game against the Maputo snakes in African Nations Cup for local players which has just been introduced this year. He never communicated to his employers of his trip when he dumped the team and later sent text messages and emails to senior players announcing his quitting.

One of the texts according to one Russian based player Esau Kanyenda who confirmed it, read like, ‘I think there are big problems in Malawi more than I thought and I have with regrets resigned, I thank all you for being nice, hope we would interact elsewhere.”

He later sent similar messages but this time through emails to senior officials including the President Walter and his vice Moses Mkandawire Nyamilandu.

Resume duties

But barely two weeks after resigning Constantine has returned claiming he wants to resume duties and serve three months notice. He jetted in Malawi on Tuesday and looking stubborn refusing interviews with the press and ordering Malawi Airport security men to bar any reporters from getting closer to him as well as restraining any cameraman from capturing him.

But Chief Executive for Malawi FA Charles Nyirenda has said Mr. Constantine has arrived as a tourist and not as coach, because he resigned and cannot be given back the team.Constantine is in bad books with most senior players who could have supported his u-turn.

Meanwhile Malawi FA is considering recruiting two former players as coaches. The two are revered coaches at club level. Malawi meets Djibouti, Egypt and DR Congo this year in African Cup and World Cup qualifiers.