By Kun Raman
The legendary Ted Powell was born in 1940. Powell was an amateur football player in England in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a wing-half for Sutton United and Wycombe Wanderers, later he managed both clubs.
Ted Powell represented both England Amateurs (51 caps) and the Great Britain Olympic team. He was also a member of the British National Side which failed to qualify for the 1972 Summer Olympics.
He became a coach for The FA and later at Tottenham Hotspur youth team.
Dr Banda asked the FA for good coach,,, to coach Malawi National Team. Ted Powell was identified as the Malawi National Football Coach from 1977.
In 1977- 1978 Ted Powell led the Malawi National Team to to the finals of All African Games in Aĺgeria with the likes of Kinnah Phiri, Boniface Maganga, Patrick Chikafa, Jonathan Billie, Harry Waya, Michael Kaimfa, Stock Dandize, Collins Thewe, Jack Chamangwana et al. Malawi qualified to semifinals of the tournament after a Libya and Egypt match turned violent and ended in Libya declaring war on Egypt. Both team were booted out of the tournament and war broke out between the two countries.
Malawi played the semi finals against Ghana. Algeria were the champions with Nigeria as runners up, Ghana on third place and Malawi fourth.
After the tournament, Ted Powell took the Malawi National Team to England for a month or two where they played teams, Wycombe Wanderers, Wolverhampton, Chelsea and other teams.
When Malawi came back they walloped teams in Africa and won the 1978 East and Central African Challenge after defeating Zambia in the final.
In 1979, Ted Powell led the Malawi National Team to the finals of the East and Central Africa Challenge Cup and won it again after defeating Kenya 3-2 in Nairobi on November 17, 1979. Malawi scored through Collins Thewe, Burnet Gondwe and Stock Dandize.
From 1980 to 1983, Ted Powell engaged in a project to produce what he called the Malawi Golden Generation.
Powell travelled throughout the country and Townships recruiting young players in schools.
By 1983 Ted Powell managed to produce the Malawi Golden Generation with the likes of Lawrence Waya, Clifton Msiya, Ernest Mtawali, Holman Malunga, Kennedy Malunga, Frank Sinalo,Young Chimodzi and others.
Ted Powell left Malawi in 1983. He left behind a good coach Henry Moyo he trained since the late 1970s. Henry Moyo led the Golden Generation to the first ever Afcon finals that same year in 1983.
n England, Ted Powell also coached the England Under-18 side which he led to the 1993 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship.
The triumphant team he groomed included Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Sol Campbell and Robbie Fowler (the England Golden Generation).
Ted Powell died on 22 September 2005.
In the picture, the legendary Ted Powell with deputy coach Henry Moyo, Kinnah Phiri and Young Chimodzi.
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