Patrick Mabedi played for a then all-conquering Kaizer Chiefs side in the early 2000s, winning almost every trophy on offer, including the CAF Cup Winners' Cup. The former Amakhosi captain admits that it breaks his heart seeing the club that has given him a platform to achieve so much struggling to reclaim the glory days that made them one of the most popular clubs in South Africa. Soccer Laduma's Mikia Kalati caught up with the Malawi national team head coach to discuss the progress on his coaching career as well as clear up reports of a bitter fall-out with the Flames poster boy Gabadinho Mhango.
Mikia Kalati: Coach Patrick Mabedi, congratulations on your recent appointment as the Malawi national team head coach. How has it been since you took over the reins on a permanent basis?
Patrick Mabedi: Thank you very much for the compliment. First and foremost, it's a very challenging task and we are working very hard to make it a success. It has been a tough journey because as you come in as the new coach, you come in with your own philosophy. We have different styles and I had to bring my own style after taking over the job. Coaches are different and as a coach, I love teams that keep the ball. Football is a tough job and transition is always a problem. The fortunate part is that I had these kids who are now with the senior team at the U20. I have brought them to the senior team and that means I did not have to do that much as we all know each other from my time with the U20. They are good boys and have done very well thus far.
MK: Your team has had a fairly decent start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers losing 1-0 to Tunisia at home and grinding a 1-0 victory away to Liberia. You must be happy with how you started…
PM: Look, it's important to understand that we are still a work in progress and still developing our team like I said. We have a lot of young boys that graduated from our U20 team. The World Cup qualifiers are a huge challenge, but we are taking it one game at the time. Yes, the boys have done very well in the two games we played so far. As a coach, I always want to compete and do well, but it is important to also prepare a team that will do us proud in the future. We want to improve with every game we play and collect as many points as possible. We need to understand that when you play for the national team, you must be playing regularly for your team as well and I made it clear from the start that I will pick players that are regulars at their clubs. You see, when you coach the national team, you don't have enough time for training because the players are only with you for a few days. You mostly focus on technical issues and tactics with players, video analysis and most of the time you are traveling as you must play two matches in a short space of time. So, we have no time for training at all and must get players that are ready and playing regularly at their clubs.
MK: The number of Malawian players coming to the PSL has dried up in recent years. What has gone wrong?
PM: You are 100% correct. We used to have a lot of Malawian players in the PSL when I was still playing at Chiefs. There was John Maduka, Essau Kanyenda, Robert Ng'ambi, Joseph Kamwendo, Russel Mwafulirwa, Fisher Kondowe and Peter Mponda. That exposure helped us a lot when we went to play for the national team. There could be a lot of questions to that, the determination of the players to go and play in the PSL, has our domestic league dropped in producing quality players? But I think the calibre of players is not the same. South Africa is also facing the same in terms of their players going overseas.
MK: Gabadinho Mhango has been in and out of the Malawi squad since you took over the reins with reports of a rift between the two of you.
PM: Do you know that I'm the one who recommended Gaba to come to South Africa and he stayed with me when he arrived here? I was the one who took him to (Bloemfontein) Celtic, I'm that one person who pushed Gaba to come and play in South Africa and people should know that Gaba is my boy. They should not mix sugar and salt. I called him for the last international match, and I wouldn't have done that if we were not on good terms. We sometimes need to accept change and transition in football. We must look at the future because the reality is that Gaba will not always be here for the national team, and we need to find a replacement for him. We need to prepare players that will take over from him, he is one of my sons. Like I said, he is a very good player, but the reality of life is that we need to prepare young players to take over from him and others. When I was at Kaizer Chiefs, they had to prepare young players to take over from me and others. As a professional coach, I have nothing against Gaba.
MK: Mhango is a player that many people feel hasn't reached his full potential because on his best day, he can be a world-class player as proved during his spell at Orlando Pirates and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
PM: Gabadinho is a very good player and has done very well for his country. But like I said, with the national team, you do not have enough time to work with the players in the way that you would like as a coach. So, consistency is also very important for a player to remain at the top. Adoption to modern football like the way Mamelodi Sundowns is playing, where players must master the usage of the ball when in attack and defending. That is why Sundowns have this good record and still going for more despite already winning the league and the coaches are demanding consistency all the time.
MK: What should Chiefs and Orlando Pirates do to catch up with the Brazilians?
PM: Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Rhulani (Mokwena) as a friend. He has done very well. They have done very well, and we congratulate them on the good job that they have been doing not only in South Africa, but in the continent as well. I'm not surprised with the dominance, honestly, because of how well the club is organised. The set-up at Sundowns is of (a) high calibre and very serious. They go everywhere to sign the best talent to help their team, South America and here in the continent. The club has supported their technical team, and they are not chopping and changing and of course, it's good coaches that oversee the club.
MK: We hear you.
PM: I think the chopping and changing of coaches is not helping. A long-term plan is needed to catch up with Sundowns and signing of quality players. There is a lot that happens in football nowadays and players should be signed on merit. The commitment that players give is also not enough. We must copy what Sundowns is doing by supporting the technical team and give them a chance to grow with the team. Give them the responsibility to buy their own players that suit their style and philosophy. This thing of administrators signing players before the arrival of the coach should stop. Coaches should be supported by being given a chance to buy players they need for the project.
MK: You speak highly of Rhulani Mokwena. Do you think he can follow in the footsteps of Pitso Mosimane and coach beyond South African shores?
PM: Yoh! Look, one thing I observed is that we have coaches that can deliver at the highest level. Why not for Rhulani? He has proved his credentials in the PSL and in the continent with Sundowns. He is a quality coach, that is very knowledgeable and can do it abroad as well. I think we have this mentality of undermining black coaches. He can do it like Pitso. African coaches are capable.
MK: Your former club, Amakhosi, continues to endure a very difficult spell in the PSL. What do you think has to be done to bring back the glory days to Naturena?
PM: You are right, Chiefs is in my blood, that's my team. Things must be resolved soon. I don't want to blame the coach at this stage for the struggles the team is going through, but I think a diagnosis of what the problem is must be done to find solutions. The consistency is not there from the players, (there is) lack of commitment and lack of experience in the playing squad. It's sad to see Chiefs struggling to reach the same standards we are used to.
MK: You were part of a very talented squad that enjoyed a lot of success. Who are the best players you played with at Naturena?
PM: There were quite a lot of local and international players. The Siyabonga Nomvethe type, Doctor Khumalo, Thabo Mooki, Brian Baloyi and Mohammed Ouseb from Namibia. There was a big number of good players that I played with at the club.
MK: Would you consider a return to South Africa if Chiefs or any other PSL club comes calling for your services?
PM: I have unfinished business in South Africa. It's my second home, but now I have this project with Malawi that I must fulfil and see to the end. The level of professionalism and the competitiveness of the league in the PSL makes every coach want to work there and grow. So, I will come back to South Africa because, as far as I know, I still have unfinished business there.
MK: With the future of Itumeleng Khune uncertain at the club, who do you think should replace him as the leader in the dressing room?
PM: For me, leaders are born and not made, and I think Khune was a natural born leader. I never got to play with him as he was in the development team towards the end of my playing days at Chiefs. There was Brian Baloyi, who was obviously a leader himself and captained the team for many years and after him there were Rowen Fernandez and Emile Baron. So, I never got to play with Khune, but he proved himself as a leader for many years. It's about time we get players that can take the baton from him because we need leaders in that dressing room to cheer the boys when the need arises.
MK: Patrick, thank you so much for your time. As we conclude the interview, take us back to the penalty that Doc Khumalo talked about in his column, where you secured Chiefs the Mandela Cup with a 1-0 win over Inter de Luanda at Ellis Park Stadium. You were known to be the best penalty taker for the Glamour Boys in those days.
PM: Ha, ha, ha. In our team, we all knew our responsibilities, and everyone knew that if we were awarded a penalty, it was me who would take it. Freekicks and corners were between Doc, Thabo Mooki and Arthur Zwane. So, when we won the penalty, Doc handed the ball to me to take the penalty and I would always tell them that there is no need for anyone to wait for a rebound or a save from the goalkeeper. Our team had a lot of leaders and we trusted each other. Like everyone expected, I scored the penalty, and it was the only goal of that match as we won the Mandela Cup after beating Inter de Luanda 2-1 on aggregate. My penalties were very slowly taken, and they could cause a dislocation to a shoulder of a goalkeeper if they tried saving it. People hardly talk about our success in the continent, but they need to know that we won a continental trophy having beaten teams from Angola, Tunisia, and Egypt to win the trophy. Our coach was Muhsin Ertugral.
