AFCON awakens Flames

Flames head coach Patrick Mabedi has described the performance of the Malawi National Football Team’s World Cup qualifiers opponents at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Ivory Coast as a wake-up call.

This comes after one of the Flames World Cup qualifiers’ Group H opponents Equatorial Guinea trampled Afcon hosts and pre-tournament favourites The Elephants 0-4 to progress to the Round of 16 as group A winners with unbeaten run in three games, having also beaten Guinea-Bissau and drawn against Nigeria.

The Flames will face Equatorial Guinea away in the World Cup qualifiers on June 10, seven days after playing against Sao Tome at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

Malawi’s other World Cup qualifiers opponents Namibia and Tunisia are also at the continental showpiece, fighting to progress to the next round.

Said Mabedi: “The mere fact that most of our World Cup opponents continue to be active at the Afcon finals is a cause for worry because, unlike our opponents, over 90 percent of our players are local-based and have been in off-season since December..

“It will be a struggle to catch-up with the likes of Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia and Namibia unless we begin the preparations as soon as possible.”

He said this is one of the reason he has submitted to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) with a year-long technical plan, in which he has proposed at least an international friendly and camping in March.

“We cannot compete at the same level with our World Cup opponents if we continue to be inactive for so long.  We  have to be cautious and ensure that we are not completely off the mark,” he said.

The former Flames captain said if FAM approves his technical plan, which outlines requirements for Malawi to do well in World Cup assignments, they can do well.

But soccer analyst Kevin Moyo yesterday said in an interview the teams that qualified for the Afcon will have an edge over the Flames due to experience gained at the continental showpiece.

“The Flames will need to have good preparations by, among others, doing proper analysis of the opposition and playing friendly matches against good teams,” he said.

Another analyst Charles Nyirenda said Equatorial Guinea, Namibia and Tunisia will be difficult  opponents in  the World Cup qualifiers.

“Afcon appearance can give good experience to the other teams, but World Cup is a different competition altogether,” he said.

Football analyst Parry Chinyama also said Malawi’s disadvantage is compounded by lack of players plying their trade in European leagues.

On his part, FAM first vice-president Madalitso Christopher Kuyera, who has just been appointed the local football governing body’s technical committee chairperson, yesterday said they are aware of the coach’s plan.

He said: “As a technical committee, we had a meeting last Saturday and the coach’s plan was among the issues we discussed.

“What I can tell you is that, we have come up with recommendations, which we hope will be approved at FAM executive meeting in Mangochi this Saturday.”

Mabedi was appointed as Flames coach following his success as a temporary coach.

After replacing expatriate coach Romanian Mario Marinica, he guided the national football team to a fourth place finish at the 2023 Cosafa Men’s Championship in South Africa, where he did not lose in open play in four games.

He also drew goalless against Ethiopia and two-all against Guinea in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Additional reporting

Patrick Lunda,

staff writer