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Sports Reporter
FORMER Warriors coach Callisto Pasuwa’s hopes of landing the post with Malawi national football team went up in smoke at the weekend after the country decided against hiring an expatriate coach because of their weak financial position.

Pasuwa was one of the favourites to land the job, replacing Ernest Mtawali, who was fired six months ago because of poor results. The Football Association of Malawi had lobbied for an expatriate coach to turn around the face of the game in the Southern Africa country, but they have been forced to rethink their position after the plans were not approved by the Government.

Former FAM secretary-general Suzgo Nyirenda last week told The Herald that Pasuwa was one of the main targets and the process to try and lure the former Dynamos coach had started in June last year.

Pasuwa’s contract with the Warriors was not renewed at the end of last month, after the team failed to get beyond the group stages of the AFCON finals in Gabon.

And, since then, Pasuwa has been linked with a move to Malawi where he had a brief flirtation during his playing days.

However, according to a statement from FAM, the country will not hire a foreign coach and they have also withdrawn from the CHAN 2018 qualifiers and AFCON 2019 competition to concentrate on grassroots development.

“As you may all recall, FAM, having earlier examined and identified the dire extent of the current gaps and shortfalls in the team, resolved that an experienced and well qualified expatriate coach be engaged.

“Accordingly, a comprehensive proposal and justification was sent to the Government as the financiers. It was expected that the expatriate coach was going to drill our current crop of players to international levels for better performance of the team.

“It was also expected that the expatriate coach was going to provide mentorship to our local coaches with a view of them taking over the team at the expiry of his contract . . .” read the statement.