Post-Cosafa press: Every word from Kalisto Pasuwa

The Malawi National Team were booted out of the Cosafa Cup tournament after having their difficult experience where they lost two games and drawing one.

The Flames kicked off the campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Lesotho before playing a barren stalemate against Namibia. They wrapped up the tournament with a 1-0 defeat to Angola and they finished bottom with zero goals.

Kalisto Pasuwa held a press conference on Thursday at Football Association of Malawi headquarters, Chiwembe where he responded to media questions.

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Here is every word from the Zimbabwean

Kalisto Pasuwa’s introduction

“We have been in our journey, we have played CHAN, and we went also to play Cosafa in our games which we were playing. As coaches, we are very professional enough, we were trying to build a team as you know that we are building a team that will qualify for AFCOn 2027.

“So when building a team there is a time where you go maybe through this where you want to see each and every player playing in the National Team. One area which we should have to know at a time when you are building a team you also look at age. Yes, we know that outside there you need instant results, and think that if we take an experienced players we can get results. But we should take into our minds that we need youngsters who can be the next future players of our national team.

“I think that most of them, we had in the CHAN squad, they played well, very positive in terms of how they were playing, out of possession and on possession, playing structured football where mostly, if you saw in our last games which we have been playing, we end up conceding. It’s those moments that we need to see and work on them so that we can come up with results.

“But, it’s not easy, it needs time to make it happen and get results. In our last games which we played at Cosafa, we chose players. Maybe it was surprising to see some of the guys like Alick Lungu, Lloyd Banega Aroan, Nixon Mwase not part of the team. Unfortunately, I wasn’t around, we are now that we could meet and explain the squad.

“Yes, we took these players like Emmanuel Nyirenda who replaced Alick and we had other guys like Blessings Mpokera. We decided to leave some of the guys whom we think could be part of the squad playing in AFCON because we know that they could be one of those players who we are supposed to be using.

“We wanted to see new players whom are coming in. For example, for the games which we played in Cosafa, if we had Alick, we couldn’t play Emmanuel, if we had Nixon Mwase, we couldn’t have played Blessings Mpokera, if we had Lloyd Aaron, we couldn’t have played Blessings Singini. So, as coaches, we have to see each and every player being given a chance so that at the end of the day we havea squad that can make us compete.

“We went to COSAFA to compete but we couldn’t score, but as we know scoring is an art, we need to work on it. The boys in terms of structure, they responded well, you could see the way they played out of possession and on possession.

“They were looking for the ball in numbers out of possession, and in transition, very offensive especially in the last two games that we played, but it was the scoring part of it. So,we will still be working on it and we saw the positives and now we are trying to work on the negatives and try to correct it so that we can start getting results.

On favoring Bullets in terms of squad selection

“On team selection, yes, I’m in a situation where in a former Bullets coach. But remember, when i came here, I came as a coach and I’m very professional enough where I’m supposed to exercise my professionalism on Malawi’s football.

“One thing which make a team is to have combinations, I’m given two days to train the players and then out those, maybe four players are used to each other, they can combine maybe for us to get results.

“Then taking it out of that, Bullets have been playing in Champions League, where there is structured football. They have same kind of football when playing for the National Team.

“Then I have seen here in Malawi, maybe its because of lack of money in other teams. You can see those players playing well for Kamuzu barracks for example, are being bought by Mighty Wanderers, Bullets, so, we take them to the National Team. Its not to say that we favour them much but that’s it.

“We have professionals that are playing in Europe, those players can come and help us tactically without even telling them what to do and they can also help players that are at National Team in order for us to be bringing results.

On failing to score at Cosafa

“I said scoring is an art. National teams mostly play structured football and they push you to ho in sides because that’s where maybe teams are very solid in terms of how they play. So, I’m one coach who is supposed to be coaching these players on this. We are supposed to have movements, running into spaces, they can’t do themselves, it needs the coach to be telling them.

“It is different from our local matches where we play one route football, have two Strikers up, then we hit the ball forward, the other one flicking and the other one scoring. This is one is different where you need to be tactically good in order to be scoring

Apart from scoring, what other areas need to be worked on?

We have been conceding goals firstly when we are outnumbered, maybe one when is out being treated. Others are failing to respond when they are playing with less number.

“We are being scored either from the restart, or from second ball, so, it’s one type of a goal that we are being scored. There are also some minutes that we are supposed to be very careful in football, first 10 minutes of the game, last 10 minutes of first half, first 10 minutes in the second half and last 10 minutes in the second half.

Thats moments that we are being scored, so, we need to work with them, we are supposed to teach them, it’s us who are supposed to be teaching them to know all these things that are supposed to be happening. Remember, we are playing football at highest level, any mistake, you are punished.

Players that impressed at the tournament

Gaddie Chirwa was outstanding but we had problems. He is a good player, but when we were playing, he was struggling tactically. Maybe he could run anywhere, now it’s National Team where you need to be playing according to how you have been told by the coaches. If you run it spaces anyhow, you will be caught in transition due to the spaces that you leave, you can be punished.

“We also have Emmanuel Nyirenda, a surprise boy, who came and stood tall, be did very well as one of the left centre-backs. We also had Blessings Mpokera, we couldn’t expect more from him but he was very good in the air and and when were playing from the back, very comfortable, in terms of communication, responded very well.

“Then we had Blessings Singin in Central midfield, you even saw the way he played when he was playing side by side with Yankho Singo, they did as if they have been playing together for long time. That’s the kind of depth that we have been looking in midfield to see when one is not available, the other one can play.

“We had also Chawanangwa Gumbo, played very well in half spaces. When we lose the ball, most of the times you could see in his position. We have also Chikumbutso Salima, I played him again because we are trying to teach them in different positions.

“Most of the times,he was playing more of a winger but in these games, we tried to play him in half spaces and he did very well.

“The same thing with Promise Kamwendo, he didn’t score but what we wanted from him, he did very well. its very unfortunate, like I said, we need to teach them the movements to say when Promise creates space, one of the midfielders needs to go and fill the space.

“Wisdom Mpinganjira who was playing on the left side, did very well. He is a player who is regular but I called him to participate because they want to be taught. Like I said, we don’t have enough time with these players and we thought that this was the right time to take him and sit down with him and teach him how to play in his position. He can be one of the Strikers who can score goals for us.

On team’s progress after booted out of Cosafa, CHAN

“I said we went to compete, and unfortunately, we couldn’t win or score a goal. Remember, we are trying to build a team and I can easily say now that I have players who can be part of the squad who can play in our next games. It’s one of the positives.

“And also, the experience that I noted in these players. We were playing solid teams, the other coaches, especially the Angola’s coach, came to me and ask how many of our players play in Europe.

“Yet, we have only players who are playing locally, they even thought that they are playing in , so, it’s positive in terms of how these boys fared, it’s only that we didn’t score goals, that’s why everyone is shaking his head, but its coming up, these are positives that can take us through.

“In defense, these guys have been playing very well, we are only conceding from second balls, so, we need to work on that so that we do well going forward.”

What is the philosophy that we are using at National Team

“Mostly, we have been playing possessional football, with fast-break attack. Yes, then there are times where we need to be patient enough, trying to invite opponents to be coming to us, then we attack spaces. But, it needs players who are patient enough, especially, the guys who are playing at the back. For one to play in those spaces, you need a lot of movements.

“The other thing which you also wanted to know is maybe formation, saying maybe first game we played 4-2-3-1 then we played 3-4-3 which these guys responded very well. But again, like I said we didn’t have goals coming, we will try our best and teach them on that.

On plans ahead for team to do well

In CHAN and COSAFA, we didn’t call our regular players, we are trying to build a team for 2027, not to say we didn’t go there to compete, we wanted results. These guys should prove to us we need to be winning games, then that’s when we can chose the players to play in World Cup Qualifiers.

“There are guys that proved us, we have seen them and and it needs also bigger opponents like the way Angola came to us and they played well.

On having pressure after being booted out of CHAN and Cosafa

“As coaches, we listen. Taking players who were fringe to Cosafa, leaving Lloyd Aaron, Alick Lungu and some of the players who are playing outside, remember it was FIFA International Break, I said no, we can’t use them because we want to give these others players chance to see if they are capable of being National Team players.

“We are building a team, we need results, I’m not saying that we can go there and build a team and just lose games.

Lessons learnt from Cosafa

“Mostly, when we are playing against teams with bigger appearances, they are giving us problems. We need to see the stature of the players when we chose to play for National Team.

“And also, the way we have been conceding our goals, these moments which I talked, maybe, last 10 minutes, first 10 minutes and any mistake, you are punished. Then, for teams that can be hitting long balls and then second balls, we need also to be managing the second line when playing.

“Then also to have moments of saying we need to keep the ball away from the opponents, we need to advise the players not to hit the ball when there is no pressure. Mostly, invite them to come to you, the moment they do that, you quickly, catch them on the break but it needs other players who make forward runs.

“All I can say is,we have learnt a lot, like you saw the first game against Lesotho where we failed to have or wben a shot on goal, we had more possession but we were being pushed to go in the sides, no penetration through the centre in order to unlock them. It needs time and people who can carry the ball to go and provoke them in their own areas which are dangerous in order for us to have goals coming.

On plans to build not only tactics but also confidence, National pride

“First thing is to build a team and in choosing a player, it means he us ready to be a National Team player. Most of the teams at Cosafa, used their stronger sides, so, the confidence of our players saying I played against a player who plays in Portugal, can easily make you say that he can be part of us.

“In games that we are losing, it’s in moment, maybe in first 15 minutes, then when a corner-kick is coming, I’m supposed to be training these men, it’s something that must be taught on these players. We need to be teaching them, remember for one to understand, you need to be telling him three times

On whether he was in charge of the team at Cosafa

“Yah, I was in charge of the team. Its only maybe you were not seeing me on the touchline but we worked hand in hand with the coaches. I was passing the information to Peter Mponda on what to do, it’s unfortunate that i couldn’t stand and be on the touchline, but I was in charge. I was told by the doctors not to stand maybe for about 10 minutes, I was still under medical instructions.

Do we have players ready to qualify for 2027 AFCON?

I think, that’s the time to prepare for 2027 AFCON Qualifiers. We are still in the process of preparing for us to be ready. We are also planning to have these players who are playing in Europe for us to be ready.

“The professionals who are playing outside, theg can bring anothee fray that can make the players that I have to have confidence to see how football is being played outside

Your Assistant Coaches are also occupied with their clubs, they come during National Team duties, do you think that they are the right men?

If you can see, maybe I’m the only one who wasn’t around when these games were being played when I got sick. But when there is National Team duties, they are always around. We are working crossly where at times I can even go and see where these guys are failing to train their players in their clubs. We always make sure that we are together.”