Mighty Wanderers have defended their decision to suspend head coach Bob Mpinganjira, saying it is part of the club’s strategy in preparation for the 2026/27 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League campaign.
The Nomads announced the coach’s suspension through a statement on Sunday night, just hours after their 2-1 loss to Ekhaya FC in the final of the Airtel Top 8 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
The move also comes days before the Nomads host Tanzanian outfit Simba Sports Club (SC) this Sunday at the same venue in the first preliminary round first leg, raising concerns from some quarters on the timing of Mpinganjira’s suspension.
To be in charge temporarily:
Mabedi. | Courtesy of Young Africans FC
But in an interview yesterday, the club’s board secretary Chancy Gondwe said: “I hear the concerns regarding the timing, but we firmly believe this suspension is a crucial part of our strategic preparations for the upcoming CAF games.
“To ensure stability, we are fast-tracking the process. A replacement will be officially appointed and announced as soon as possible, well in time for us to focus entirely on the assignment ahead.”
The Nomads were yesterday finalising a short-term deal with former Flames coach Patrick ‘General’ Mabedi to oversee the back-to-back games against Simba SC.
Mabedi’s last job was assistant coach for Tanzanian giants Young Africans who are Simba SC’s arch-rivals.
On his part, Mpinganjira said he respects the club’s decision.
“The decision has been made by the board and I have no choice but to accept and wait for the way forward,” he said, sounding calm.
The statement released by the club on Sunday night did not indicate the reasons for his suspension.
Apart from leading Wanderers to the final of the Airtel Top 8, Mpinganjira also guided the Nomads to end their eight-year top-flight league title drought and finished as runners-up in the FDH Bank Cup last season.
The previous season, in 2024, he guided the Nomads to win the Castel Challenge Cup.
Currently, the Nomads are second on the log table going into their last firt round match. They are tied on 29 points with leaders Silver Strikers.
