More Malawians for 2015 CAF action
Foreign-based footballers—Zicco Mkanda, Lawrence Majawa, Sankhani Nyirenda and Joseph Kamwendo—are dead certain to have a run in the 2015 Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) competitions following Monday’s draw for the continental football safari.
The four increases the number of Malawians in the 19th edition of the Champions League and the 12th Confederation Cup after Big Bullets were drawn against the Comoros Island champions Fomboni Club de Moheil in the preliminary-round.
According to the draw held at CAF headquarters in Cairo on Monday, 58 clubs entered the Champions League fray and 56 in the Confederations Cup. Kamwendo’s TP Mazembe of DR Congo were exempted from the preliminary-round owing to their strong weighting in the competition.
Mkanda’s Liga Desportivo de Maputo (formerly Liga Muculmana) starts at home in the preliminaries when welcoming Rwanda giants APR as Majawa’s Township Rollers in Botswana travel to Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa. Mozambique Cup champions, Ferroviaro de Beira for Nyirenda will be in Confederation Cup action against Petite Rivierie Noire of Mauritius, who starts at home.
“I know my team well. We stand a chance of doing well against Chiefs,” said Majawa yesterday, whereas Nyirenda said: “I have just heard about the draw from our keeper trainer and I can’t wait for that time to come.”
Robin Ngalande, who is on loan at Ajax Cape Town, also has an outside chance of, next year, featuring for his parent club Bidvest Wits University who have in the Confederations Cup been drawn with Royal Leopards of Swaziland.
FAM transfer matching system manager Casper Jangale, who facilitated Bullets’ return to CAF league, hoped the increase of the Malawian players in the continental showpiece would create more depth for the Flames.
First 16-round matches will be played on 13, 14, 15 March with second-leg games on 3, 4, 5 April.
The round of first-8 games, which are expected to decide who gets into the group stages are set for 17, 18, 19 April for first-leg games and second-leg matches on 1, 2, 3 May 2015.
For the CAF Confederation Cup’s second 1/8 round, first leg fixtures will be on 15, 16, 17 May with second leg matches on 05, 06, 07 June 2015.
Kamwendo and Majawa are registered for the continental competitions whereas it could not be immediately established if Nyirenda and Mkanda have also made the list for their CAF squads.
