Irony of ex-Chiefs defender winning Cosafa Cup hearts with attack

The irony of Malawi's sumptuous displays at the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup is that it is a former Kaizer Chiefs’ old school defender, Patrick ‘General’ Mabedi, fashioning the Flames' brand of attacking football.

The Malawi interim coach hasn't sacrificed his defensive ethos that 'a defender must defend first' rather he has found a way.

The General without an army has found middle ground, fusing Tiki-taka, which has sent Durban into a characteristic merry-making mood, with steely defensive work.

Gents, if this is an audition for a permanent seat at Mpira House, then Mabedi is the only contender.

Of course, when it eventually comes to decision time, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) mustn’t throw caution to the wind and go with social media flow.

Sobriety tells us that the Cosafa Cup is some sort of team B thing. It is developmental hence a risky policy reading too much into its results, especially if your overall objective is competing with big boys in Afcon and World Cup qualifiers.

Afterall, caretaker coaches, like your everyday Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are masters in flattery and deception. They deliver when merely holding fort only to drop the ball when handed the real deal. Whatever the case, FAM has a Catch-22 here.

Beyond the Cosafa Cup, it is difficult to ignore the bed of potential Mabedi has mounted for the Flames while in temporary charge of a relatively new squad.

Goalkeeper Brighton Munthali seems to have come of age with sharp anticipation of danger. His positioning has improved. He can do better though organising the backline. He is also quiet for a keeper but he is calmer these days.

Stanley Sanudi, Nickson Mwase, Chembezi Denis and Alick Lungu are solid at the back. They move as a unit and pass to