By Edwin Mbewe
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi national football team, the Flames will start preparations for the 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifiers on 8th May, 2022 in Blantyre with local based players.
As per Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka, the local camp will be in two phase mode.
Head coach Mario Mariana Marinica intends to shortly invite not less than 30 local based players into the training camp.
The players who are being earmarked for both the AFCON 2023 and CHAN qualifiers will be selected in the draws which are yet to be conducted.
“The camp will be conducted in two phases.The first phase will run from 8th to 22nd May whereas the second phase will run from 22nd to 30th May, 2022. During both camps, players will be allowed to return to their clubs according to their club’s engagements.
“The final squad will be announced at the end of the 1st phase. Foreign based players will be expected to join the squad at the opening of the FIFA Calendar,” Zakazaka said.
Malawi National Football team is in group D of the qualifiers and will kick start the Ivory Coast journey in Abidjan against Ethiopia at home before facing Guinea in an away encounter between May 30 and June 14.
However, actual dates and venues are yet to be confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Malawi Flames will be focusing at qualifying to the continental showpiece back to back after participating in the 2021 tournament which took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon where they made a historical performance by making it to the round of 16.
