Meck Mwase’s targets are achievable—sports analysts

Meck Mwase

* Wanderers were ousted from the FDH Bank Cup 2024 but are in contention for the Airtel Top 8

* In which they lead 1-0 against Bangwe All Stars from the first leg of the quarterfinals ahead of their second leg at Mpira Stadium on Saturday

* They are also 7 points behind the TNM Super League 2014 leaders, Silvers Strikers with 41 points against the Bankers 48

By Isaac Jim, MANA

Sports analysts in the country have said there are a lot of chances for Mighty Wanderers’s coach, Meck Mwase with his team to win at least two trophies this season as the club’s target after he was officially announced as a head coach on Friday.

Commenting on the given target, renowned sports analyst Frank Kandu — of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) — told Malawi News Agency (MANA) today that the chances of winning the TNM Super League 2014 are still possible considering that there are more games to be played in the elite league.

Wanderers were ousted from the FDH Bank Cup 2024 but are in contention for the Airtel Top 8 in which they lead 1-0 against Bangwe All Stars from the first leg of the quarterfinals ahead of their second leg at Mpira Stadium on Saturday.

They are also 7 points behind the TNM Super League 2014 leaders, Silvers Strikers with 41 points against the Bankers 48 — both having played 20 games with 10 remaining to wrap up the season.

Kandu said: “Chances for Mwase to achieve the given target are there since Wanderers are consistent now as they have played eight league games and won all of them.

“In addition, there are 10 games to complete the season and among those games, Silver Strikers have to face Nyasa Big Bullets and Wanderers although Silver Strikers head coach said that the league is already gone [to them].”

Kandu, however, advised Mwase to use new tactics and approaches if he is to win cup games as they are tricky unlike Super League matches, and switch focus to cup titles if winning the league seems to be impossible.

“Sometimes league titles become easy to win because a coach can use home ground advantage and that many games are also played in league titles unlike in cups.

“Therefore, the approach and the system of play have to be different and Mwase’s focus and concentration can also be shifted to an achievable title when he feels that his team can no longer fight for the league title after scrutinizing the team’s form and performance,” he said.

On his part, another analyst, Kim Kamau concurred with Kandu — however, he is of the view that the target has not been given in good time as the league is underway and that competitions like Airtel Top 8 have already started.

“The league title race is not yet completed as the Bankers have to play away games, same as Wanderers although I believe that it is good to give a coach targets before the season starts as that makes a coach have a good plan like what Silver Strikers did with Mponda.

“So, giving him targets this time, I feel like they are late since other teams also have the same target which they started planning way ahead of the competitions.”

Kamau added that Wanderers have a poor record when playing against big teams, emphasising that they should defeat the opponents they struggle with to mount pressure on league leaders Silver Strikers.

“Wanderers should defeat teams that give them pressure such as Big Bullets, Mighty Tigers and the league leaders themselves to tighten the league title race and if they want to win TNM Super League.

“Wanderers lack confidence when playing against big teams and sometimes, they lose games that they are not expected to lose even when they are in top and good form.

“Therefore, Mwase needs to sit down with his backroom staff and have a good plan on how they can at least win one title if the target fails which the sponsor cannot be disappointed with unlike finishing the whole season with nothing to celebrate,” Kamau said.

Mwase, who has been serving as an interim coach for almost four months, was promoted to head coach following the club’s good performance as the Lali Lubani Road club are placed in second position on the league table with 41 points from 20 matches, 7 points behind leaders Silver Strikers after thrashing Baka City 10-0 last Saturday.