Malawi Sports Minister Jaffalie Mussa has snubbed fired national football team coach Burkhard Ziese, saying he cannot arbitrate in the on-going wrangle between Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and the German when he was already fired by the local football governing body, Nation Online of Malawi reported Thursday.

But Ziese still hopes the minister can assist in resolving the wrangle.

The German, who was sacked on September 27, has been waiting for a response from the minister on a letter he wrote him following his dismissal by FAM.

He contends that the soccer body has breached the contract on several occasions.

"It is true there was a provision on article 7 of the coach's contract that the minister shall arbitrate in any dispute between the coach and FAM who were his employers. But I don't think I can come in when the man has already been fired. Perhaps Mr Ziese erred when he refused to appear before the independent commission set up by FAM.

"That's when he could have approached me. If I say now that the coach should be reinstated, I will be interfering in FAM's affairs and FIFA does not condone government's interference in football matters," said Mussa, who acknowledged receiving the coach's letter.

But Ziese is still optimistic that the minister could assist in settling the matter by suggesting that he (the minister) could assign someone like former Chief Justice Richard Banda, now Sports Council board chair, to act as an arbitrator on his behalf.

"Banda is a very respectable person. He is a lawyer by profession and I will be ready to go on the discussion table if someone like him is assigned by the minister to act as an arbitrator. I am ready to continue coaching the national team.I have no problems with the government and the people of Malawi," said Ziese.

"The only thing I will ask for is the removal of (FAM chief executive) Yasin Osman, who never supported me since I signed the contract. How can somebody who messed up the national team losing 7-0 in Tunisia and 4-1 in Morocco be entrusted with a high position in the football association? It is only in Malawi where this can happen," charged Ziese.

The coach said that he has asked for a holiday from the minister to visit his wife, who he said, is in an intensive care unit in a Germany hospital after she viewed clips of him being man-handled out of the Kamuzu Stadium on Germany TV. FAM president Walter Nyamilandu is on record as having declared that the association would not reverse its decision on Ziese even if the minister says he should be reinstated.

Source: Xinhua