Stephen Constantine insults Malawi U-20 players

Tebelleh Zone

Stephen Constantine insults Malawi U-20 players

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Weah Fan 12-06-2007, 6:55 PM
Constantine insults U-20
BY JOY NDOVI in Mpumulanga, South Africa
09:49:07 - 05 December 2007

National team coach Stephen Constantine strongly insulted Under-20 players in the dressing room soon after their 0-0 draw against Swaziland that saw the youngsters bowing out of the Cosafa junior championship.
He first singled out Bernard Harawa, Malawi’s only goal scorer in the squad, and his version of technical advice was: “What the f***k did you think you were doing in there? You are a useless midfielder.”
The to Douglas Chirambo he said: “That’s b*******t you are doing in there, you can f***ng forget about the senior national team.”

And to the whole squad: “You are a bunch of useless people. You are just pathetic, thank God this is not my trip I would have f***ng killed someone by now.”
The coach’s unbecoming behaviour started at OR Tambo International Airpor where the first to feel the wrath of the Briton’s vulgar language was transport officer for the tournament Levy Ramajoe.

Constantine, so obsessed with four letter words, went as far as raising the middle finger to the transport officer for delaying to pick up Malawi squad and if it wasn’t for assistant coach Aubrey Nankhuni a nasty brawl would have ensured between the two.

The Under-20 players then confessed that their mediocre performance here at Cosafa championship was a direct result of Constantine’s constant use of abusive language towards them.

At least five players confessed that while in camp back home their morale was high but when they learnt that the Flames coach would be accompanying them, a dark cloud shrouded the squad.

“The way Constantine talked to us we always ended up forgetting whatever we had been told to do by our coaches,” said a player, who opted for anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Silver Strikers striker Atusaye Nyondo, who was playing his second edition of the Cosafa Under-20, described this year’s tournament as his worst.

“I know some players are not coming in the open because of fear of reprisal but am not afraid because I am saying the truth,” he said.

“We do regard a coach as our parent and when a parent starts cursing you instead of advising you it becomes very difficult for someone to perform.”
Signs of withdrawal and resentment were clearly visible on the players.

Captain of the team Chikondi Likwemba accepted that there was general displeasure and low morale among the players.
“It seems we were not even playing as a team. I don’t know what is happening. No one seemed to care that we were playing for the nation,” Likwemba said after Malawi’s drawn last game against Swaziland.
Leader of delegation Moses Mkandawire declined to comment on the issue.

“The only thing I can say is that we will be having a meeting on Tuesday (yesterday) to analyse our stay here and what caused Malawi’s poor performance,” he said.
This is not the first time that it has been reported that Constantine uses abusive words on players as well as at officials at Fam secretariat.

In September, The Daily Times reported that the coach fell out with Fam chief executive officer Yasin Osman and after a verbal war, the Briton was reported to have resigned from his post but rescinded the decision after Malawi National Council of Sports’ intervention.

Impeccable sources had said Constantine had grown sick and tired with administrative flaws at the secretariat but both Fam president Walter Nyamilandu and Sports Council vehemently denied knowledge of Constantine’s resignation.
A day later, Osman announced that he would neither be asking for the renewal of his two-year contract nor accept an extension once it expired on September 30 and he revealed that Constantine was always at loggerheads with the staff at the secretariat.

“He has been expressing some impatience with the staff of Fam and when I step in I’m being portrayed like I hate him,” he had said.

“I only come to bring peace when the coach is saying some bad words. We have kept quiet because we have regarded these as internal matters.”
Soon after the Flames 1-3 to Zimbabwe in the Nations Cup qualifier, Constantine was reportedly so heart broken, almost speechless that he quizzed the players whether they were sabotaging him.

Escom United right back Elvis Kafoteka revealed to The Daily Times that Constantine was mad at the players after the Nations Cup formality match at Barbourfields that he summoned them for a meeting.
“He asked each one of us whether we didn’t want him to work as coach, whether we wanted another coach and whether his training regime was inefficient,” Kafoteka said yesterday.

“He very shocked, almost in tears. He made it clear that he could not work in an environment where the players were not working hard as that was damaging to the name of the country and his reputation.”

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