Malawians salute Pasuwa
Former Zimbabwe and Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa has underlined his growing profile in the game after the National Football Coaches Association of Malawi (NCFA) last week honoured him and invited him to help build the capacities of their members.
The NCFA also extended an invitation to Nyasa Big Bullets coach Pasuwa to become that body’s member.
According to reports from Malawi, the NCFA delegation led by chairperson Aubrey Nankhuni met Pasuwa on Monday where, among others, they hailed the former Warriors gaffer for transforming Bullets into a force.
They also paid tribute to Pasuwa for also grooming local coaches like Peter Mponda, Swadick Sanudi and Heston Munthali.
The trio of Mponda, Sanudi and Munthali have previously played for Malawi’s senior team — the Flames.
Nankhuni said Pasuwa, a trendsetting Castle Lager Premiership championship winner with Dynamos, had plenty to offer to up-and-coming coaches in the country.
Pasuwa guided DeMbare to four successive titles between 2011 and 2014 before taking the national Under-23 side to the All Africa Games.
His finest hour in his stint with the senior national team came when he led the Warriors to the 2016 African Nations Championships (CHAN) finals in Rwanda and to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.
The Warriors secured their berth to the Nations Cup with a game to spare in a qualifying campaign in which Pasuwa’s men completed a double over Malawi.
Images of the coach draped in a blanket as the Warriors took a road trip to Blantyre aboard a Munorurama bus captured the imagination of the nation as it went viral on social media platforms.
A former Zimbabwe international midfielder, Pasuwa has also so far won two Malawi league titles with Bullets and his fine work has not gone unnoticed by his fellow coaches in that country.
“This is his third season in the country having won two league titles and he is also a four-time league winner in Zimbabwe where he also took the Zimbabwe National Football Team to the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
“We expect him to work with us as he has become an integral member in the development of football in Malawi.
“Look at the players Bullets send to the national team, they are already finished products,” Nankhuni said.
He added that they were discussing with Pasuwa on the possibility of having the 49-year-old coach joining the association where his counterpart at Silver Strikers Daniel Kabwe is already a member.
Pasuwa, who also has some Malawian roots, said he feels at home following the courtesy call which NFCA members paid him.
“When I go to Zimbabwe, I tell people that Malawi is my home. I feel highly honoured here.
“Malawian coaches can also learn from other coaches and by researching as football has become dynamic,” he said. The Sunday Mail
