BLANTYRE (MaraviPost) – – Lack of adequate funding and time has forced the Flames not to have a tune-up match ahead of their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying match against Mali, Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has disclosed.
Malawi start their qualifier campaign on September 6 away to Mali and face Ethiopia a week later at Kamuzu stadium. This means Flames will not also have time to arrange any friendly matches before the Ethiopia game.
Fam general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda told Capital Radio Malawi that time constraint and funding problems have affected plans to have a friendly match before their meeting with Mali.
“It’s very difficult for us to organise a friendly game before the match day. Time factor and funding are among the major reasons of this. The budget does not cater for the friendly match,” said Nyirenda in Capital Radio’s Daybreak Malawi sports programme.
Meanwhile the Flames are in camp. The local football governing body called 34 players from which, 25 are expected to be selected in the final squad.
But the nine foreign based players will not come to join Flames in camp, instead they will fly straight to Mali. The players are Limbikani Mzava, Harry Nyirenda, Chimango Kayira, Joseph Kamwendo, Robin Ngalande, Gabadinho Mhango, Atusaye Nyondo, Chiukepo Msowoya and Robert Ng’ambi.
Flames are in Group B where there are teams like Mali, Ethiopia and 2014 World Cup participants, Algeria.
