BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi national team has been dealt with a heavy blow after nine player tested positive, few days before the team travels to South Africa for COSAFA Cup.
The nine players are goalkeeper Brighton Munthali, Yamikani Chester, Peter Cholopi, Gomegzani Chirwa, Chikondi Kamanga, Anthony Nfune, Gaddie Chirwa, Paul Ndhlovu and Stain Davie.
Flames assistant coach Bob Mpinganjira , who was in charge of the match against Tanzania following the exclusion of head coach Meck Mwase due to Covid-19, has also been found positive.
According to information made available to Maravi Post, all the nine players and Mpinganjira are asymptomatic and have gone into isolation.
Head coach Meck Mwase is still in isolation.
Assistant coach Lovemore Fazili will be in charge of the team until Mwase returns.
FAM Competitions and Communication Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said FAM will continue monitoring the individuals and those that will recover will be available for consideration.
“All the players and officials underwent PCR tests while at home and those that tested negative are the ones that have gone into camp.
“We will be following up with all the positive cases to see who will recover in time for the trip to COSAFA. It is a big blow but we will have to work with the players that are available and no new players will be called into camp,” said Zakazaka.
The Flames are in Group B alongside defending champions Zambia, Comoros Islands and Madagascar.
Malawi will start Cosafa Cup against Madagascar on July 7 at Isaac Wolfson Stadium before meeting Comoros at the same venue three days later.
The team’s last match in the group stages will be against Zambia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on July 13.
The team regrouped on Tuesday morning at the Mpira Village in Blantyre in preparation for the 2021 COSAFA Cup to be held in South Africa next month.
As it is, Fazili has 25 local players in camp with Tawonga Chimodzi as the only foreign based player having joined camp on Tuesday morning. Mozambique based duo of Ndaziona Chatsalira and Schumacher Kuwali are expected to join the team on Wednesday.
Striker Khuda Muyaba and defender Dennis Chembezi will join the squad in South Africa.
The Flames are expected to leave the country on Sunday July 4, 2020 for the 2021 COSAFA Cup where they are in group B alongside Zambia, Madagascar and Comoros.
