National Sports

Nomads panel proposes 2 international friendlies’

Be Forward Wanderers have proposed two international friendly matches before they kick-start their 2018 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League campaign.

The Nomads will host Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) outfit AS Vita in their preliminary round first leg between February 9 and 11 next year.

Coach for the newly-crowned TNM Super League champions, Yasin ‘Titch’ Osman and his backroom staff—which also includes technical director Jack ‘Africa’ Chamangwana, assistant coach Bob Mpinganjira and team manager Stevie Madeira—also said they will regroup on January 9 to start preparations for the continental showpiece.

This follows a meeting which the panel had with the executive committee on Boxing Day in Blantyre.

Said Osman: “We are looking at playing two to three international friendlies against teams from neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.”

On the prospects of beefing up their squad, the Nomads gaffer said: “If our players have become national champions then that means they are the best on the land. So, if we are to beef up then it should be players that can really add value.

“It should also be only in those areas that we feel we are weak. So, it could be only two or so, but they will also have to be assessed to see if they can suit or fit our plans because it is not a guarantee that if a player is doing well at another club then he will also perform at Wanderers.”

Osman also said they are looking at technically analysing their opponents.

“That process has already started, we are gathering materials to analyse how AS Vita play, their strengths and weaknesses and which players we can use to counter their strengths and capitalise on their weak areas,” he said.

The Nomads’ chairperson Gift Mkandawire said the technical panel submitted a report on the just-ended season and made recommendations as regards preparations for the CAF tournament.

“In the next two days, we should come up with a response on the recommendations and proposals that were put forward because not everything could be accommodated,” he said.

Masters Security, who are competing in the CAF Confederation Cup, have said they are yet to meet and plan on preparations.

The club’s general secretary Zacharia Nyirenda told The Nation last week that: “We are not sure when we will start the preparations as we are waiting for a go-ahead from our sponsor [Masters Security Services].

Masters will face Atletico  Petroleos de Luanda of Angola also between February 9 and 11 in the preliminary round first leg tie at home.

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