FAM disputes allegations that it extravagantly spends on Mario Marinica’s accommodation at plush Amaryllis Hotel

* Contends that is has been saving up to K7.5 million for the five months the coach has stayed in the country

* The figure reported are an exaggeration which have portrayed FAM as being extravagant and wasteful

By Duncan Mlanjira

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says the K900,000 a month special package it spent for national team coach Mario Marinica’s accommodation at the plush Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre helped the association to make significant savings of K1.5 million per month.

FAM contends that the saving has amounted to K7.5 million for the five months the coach has stayed in the country.

Thus it refutes allegations made in the media that it is spending extravagantly on the coach as the reports captured on Malawi News of April 9 claimed FAM has spent over K17 million for the coach’s stay at the hotel.

“The figure reported are an exaggeration which have portrayed FAM as being extravagant and wasteful,” said the statement from Fam. “The truth of the matter is that since his arrival in the country in November 2022, Mr. Marinica has been staying at Hotel Amaryllis.

“Initially this was supposed to be a temporally arrangement for a month as he was finalising his employment and work permit documentation.

“Marinica had to accompany the Flames to Saudi Arabia for pre- AFCON camping in December and Cameroun for the AFCON in January. The Flames left Malawi on 23rd December 2021 and returned on 28th January 2022.

“Upon return from AFCON, Marinica was supposed to be provided with accommodation within Blantyre as provided in his employment contract. As FAM was in the process of identifying the house, Amaryllis hotel offered special ‘long-stay-package’ which effectively addressed the accommodation needs of Mr. Marinica and was also found to be cost effective for FAM.”

The association said Amaryllis offered the special rate of K900,000 per month including all services apart from meals — lunch and dinner — saying if they had opted for the rentals of fully furnished houses that were offered were in the ranges of K900,000 to K1.2 million per month.

Apart from the monthly rentals FAM was expected to bear more  expenses such as 24-hour security services with alarms, costing between K600,000 to K1 million; DSTV Services (K90,000); 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,” continues the statement. “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.

“We would like therefore to assure all our stakeholders and the public that FAM shall continue to exercise care, due diligence, and prudence in management of its resources at all times.”

Marinica is credited for leading the Flames to their first-ever qualification into the knockout stages of the AFCON his work at Afcon in which Malawi qualified to the Round of 16 was extraordinary hence giving him the position.

Marinicia, who is expected to choose his own backroom staff, was initially appointed technical director but at the AFCON he was signed in as head coach.

Mwase, who became the third Malawian to take the team to Afcon after Henry Moyo in 1987 and Kinnah Phiri in 2010, was only in full charge for two games after Marinica tested positive of CoVID-19 and had to observe quarantine protocols.