By Chisomo Phiri
Former Flames Head Coach Patrick Mabedi is demanding about K917 million from the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) as compensation for what he describes as unfair and unlawful dismissal.
In a witness statement on the assessment of damages filed at the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) dated March 25, 2026, which 247 Malawi News has seen, Mabedi is seeking K916.7 million in total compensation after winning the case.
The court’s deputy chairperson Wyson Nkhata earlier ruled in Mabedi’s favour and advised him to pursue any claims for withheld fringe benefits and related entitlements, provided he could prove the
.
Meanwhile, the IRC has adjourned to April 28 the hearing to determine the actual compensation amount following a request from FAM’s lawyer Luciano Mickeus of Micklaw and Company.
The law firm’s representative Joseph Chiona told the court that Mickeus was unavailable for the hearing because he was attending a parastatal board meeting.
Mickeus is the board chairperson of Sunbird Tourism plc.
“We requested the adjournment because the counsel handling the matter is attending other official engagements. However, we expect that a fair determination will be made by the court,” he said.
Mabedi’s lawyer David Kanyenda of Kanyenda Associates said they reluctantly accepted the adjournment.
“While our view is that judicial business must enjoy primacy for court officers, we reluctantly yielded to the adjournment request,” he said.
Mabedi sued FAM in November 2024 for unlawful and unfair termination of his contract, which was ended a year before its expiry.
He had signed a two-year contract with FAM in October 2023 after serving as interim coach of the Flames for five months.
