Mario takes charge of u-23

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has put technical director Mario Marinica in-charge of the Under-23 national football team which leaves today for Turkey for the Tour Fanatic tournament.

FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka confirmed the development in an interview yesterday.

The Romanian, who was also in charge of the Malawi National Football Team at Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Cameroon in January, will head the technical panel with Under-20 national football team coach Patrick Mabedi and Under-17 coach DeKlerk Msakakuona as his assistants.

In an interview yesterday, Marinica said the tournament in Turkey is important as it will provide an opportunity to build a new generation of Flames players.

He said: “The camp went very well. We had good response from players. They were keen and enthusiastic to embrace my philosophy. With the results from Afcon, the players are looking forward to replicate this or even better the results from the national team.”

Marinica, however, said results from the tournament will not matter.

He said: “The purpose of the trip is to enable us to assess players from 18 to 22-years-old that will form the next Malawi football generation rather than just having a group of the Under-17 of Under-20 national football team. Also by doing this, we are targeting a number of areas.

“We are targeting to form a competitive Olympic team and also blend local players and young internationals like Peter Banda and Charles Petro. This will also enable us have a team for Chan [African Nations Championship] and Cosafa Cup as well as a strong foundation for the senior national team, the Flames.”

FAM sourced funds for the trip at the eleventh hour after failing to get K100 million extra funding from government

FAM president Walter Nyamilandu yesterday said they have used the association’s reserves to send the team to Turkey.

He said: “We had some reserves from the Flames Afcon Resource Mobilisation Task Force Funds. This has been supplemented with Fifa travel funds.”

Nyamilandu said they failed to get extra funding, having exhausted the association’s 2021 government allocation.

The full squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Maxwell Makopa, Chancy Mtete, Emance Nyirenda

Defenders: Innocent Shema, Kondwani Chirwa, Kelvin Banda, Fanizo Mwansambo, Hadji Wali, Blessings Mpokera, Kestein Simbi, Tatenda M’balaka, Alick Lungu

Midfielders: Charles Petro, Lloyd Aaron, Chawanangwa Gumbo, Robert Saizi, Festus Duwe, Patrick Mwaungulu, Francisco Madinga, Lovemore Mbeta,

Strikers: Chistopher Gototo, Masambiro Kalua, Mphatso Kamanga, Chifundo Mphasi, Emmanuel Savieli, Yamikani Chaima.n