Tamika Mkandawire

Football player infobox
playername = Tamika Mkandawire


fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|5|28
cityofbirth = Mzuzu
countryofbirth = Malawi
height = 6 ft 1 in (1.85m)
nickname = Tam
currentclub = Leyton Orient
clubnumber = 5
position = Centre Back
years = 1999–2004
2003–2004
2004–2007
2007–
clubs = West Bromwich Albion
→ Hereford United (loan)
Hereford United
Leyton Orient
caps(goals) = 000 0(0)
014 0(1)
112 (11)
037 0(3)
nationalyears = 2005–2006
nationalteam = England C
nationalcaps(goals) = 002 0(0)
pcupdate = 16 August 2008
ntupdate = 15:35, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

Tamika Mkandawire (born 28 May 1983 in Mzuzu) is a Malawi-born footballer who plays for Leyton Orient and plays as a central defender. He holds a United Kingdom citizenship and has played for the English semi-professional team. Malawi does not allow dual citizenship therefore Tamika is currently ineligible to play for Malawi at full international level.

Tamika was a trainee at West Brom for five seasons but did not make an appearance for the first team due to the lack of opportunities at the club at the time. Albion released him in 2004 after winning promotion to the Premier League. [cite news
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~523251,00.html
title=Albion release eight players
publisher=West Bromwich F.C.
accessdate=2007-10-09] Having had two loan spells with Hereford United in the 2003-04 season, he signed permanently for them for the 2004-05 season. Prior to this he had a trial in the United States with New England Revolution.

He was a first team regular at centre-back in the 2004-05 season making the most appearances of all the central defenders in the squad. He also chipped in with 6 goals, more than any other defender that season. This consistency continued into the 2005-06 season where he missed only 4 matches, and scored 9 goals. When club captain Tony James was injured, Tamika took the captain's armband and led Hereford to the playoff final, scoring in the crucial semi-final against Morecambe. He lifted the trophy after a 3-2 win over Halifax and was subsequently named Player of the Year, for the second season in succession.

For the 2006-07 season he was named as team captain for Hereford's first season back in the Football League. He was a regular in Hereford's defence, scoring twice in the league, and his solid performances had led to speculation over him moving to a bigger club. Despite an improved contract offer in December 2006, which reportedly would have made him the highest earner in the club's history, he decided that his future lay elsewhere.

On 6 June, 2007 he signed a 3 year deal with Leyton Orient, who had previously seen a £60,000 bid rejected. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leyton_orient/6728037.stm
title=O's swoop for Bulls' Mkandawire
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-06-06
accessdate=2007-10-09] Dubbed one of the best young centre backs in the Football League, it will now be up to Mkandawire to fight for a place at centre back with Alton Thelwell, Brian Saah and Clayton Fortune. He made his Orient debut in a 2–1 win at Southend United on 11 August 2007. [cite news
date=2007-08-11
url=http://www.leytonorient.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10439~37459,00.html
title=Southend vs Leyton Orient
publisher=Leyton Orient F.C.
accessdate=2007-09-02] Three weeks later, on September 1, Mkandawire scored his first goal for the club – and Orient's 5000th in league football – in a 2–2 draw with Northampton Town. [cite news
date=2007-09-01
url=http://www.leytonorient.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10439~37512,00.html
title=Leyton Orient vs Northampton
publisher=Leyton Orient F.C.
accessdate=2007-09-02] His performance in Orient's 1-0 home win over Bournemouth on 8 September, 2007 earned him a place in the League One Team of the Week. [cite web
url=http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/staticFiles/fa/82/0,,10794~99066,00.pngtitle=Coca-Cola League 1 Team Of The Week (10/09/2007)
publisher=The Football League
format=PNG
date=2007-09-10
accessdate=2007-10-09]

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=31993|name=Tamika Mkandawire