MALAWI 100 SWAZILAND 0

Malawi beat Swaziland today in a friendly played as part of Malawi’s 45th Annivesary of Independence Celebrations. There was no Hot Dog Eating Contest at Kamuzu Stadium but it was reported that each and every person who would go to the venue would receive a “meal pack”.

Malawi and Swaziland are ranked 110 and 142, respectively, on the FIFA Coca Cola World Ranking . Since it was a friendly I have deliberately misstated the scores because friendlies are not competitive, neither team cares about the result.

Malawi only featured players that play for local clubs. At least 97% of the Flames’ players that played in the GROUP E games against Ivory Coast (5-0), Burkina Faso (1-0), and Guinea (2-1) are foreign based. Malawi can still make it to Angola if they finish 3rd in Group E. All along we have been hearing that the reason they are not performing well is due to the fact that they don’t play enough friendlies. IMO, when the competition is already in progress friendlies should be used for team cohesion and not to identify substitutes unless you have already thrown in the towel. It seems the Flames have already thrown in the towel. About 90% of the Flames’ foreign based players play for South African Clubs. The Absa Premiership officially kicks off on Friday, August 7, when defending Champions, SuperSport United travel to the Woodburn Stadium to take on Maritzburg United. This year’s only remaining FIFA Fixed Date for friendly matches is August 12. That means the Flames’ foreign based players will only have about 4 days to mesh with the local players before the game against Guinea on September 5. Back to square one? Since it seems the Flames have already thrown in the towel, they may as well only feature locally based players in the remaining three games. Not only will they achieve team cohesion but they will also reduce expenses (no need to spend money on Air Tickets for the Professionals).

Team cohesion is very important that’s why in order to provide adequate preparatory time for Bafana Bafana, the South African League will be in recess for the entire month of January when their national team will be in camp. The league will also release all selected players to join the national team from March 1, 2010 right up to the commencement of the World Cup. That’s what I call preparations. Why can’t SULOM do the same. If Malawi local players will be in majority in the game against Guinea on September 5 then SULOM should release these local players from 1st August to 5th September.

There are many group dynamics that take place within a sporting team. One of the most important is cohesion. One is always hearing about how important it is for a team to “gel” or “bond” or “have good chemistry.” Cohesive teams can achieve dramatic and awesome things. The way players interact has a tremendous impact on the way a team performs.

The more cohesive a team is, the more it encourages peak performance in its members. If cohesion is lacking it can often prevent the team from reaching its potential. Shouldn’t teams spend time and energy developing a cohesive environment?

How to Create Team Cohesion

1. Avoid excessive team substitutions
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