Arrival of 5 players boost Flames

The Flames have been boosted by the arrival of five more players in Zambia ahead of Saturday’s Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup quarter-final showdown against defending champions Zimbabwe’s Warriors at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) first vice-president Moses Mkandawire on Thursday confirmed that Mozambique-based quartet of captain Joseph ‘Shakira’ Kamwendo, his deputy Moses Chavula, goalkeeper Simplex Nthala and striker Chiukepo Msowoya arrived in Lusaka on Wednesday evening, so too Gastin Simkonda who was undergoing trials in South Africa.

New caretaker coach Tom Saintfiet has included also included defender James Sangala and striker Jimmy Zakazaka in the squad.

“We have a full squad now having been joined by the five players and we have since intensified preparations for Saturday’s game,” said Mkandawire.

He also justified the inclusion of foreign-based players for the developmental tournament, saying it will give Saintfiet a chance to get a glimpse of his new charges.

“Remember, we are also using the tournament to prepare for the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria,” said Mkandawire who doubles as FAM technical subcommittee head.

The Flames flew into Lusaka on Wednesday.

The tie will precede another quarter-final encounter pitting South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and the Brave Warriors of Namibia at the modest stadium which is the home of Zambian top-flight side Red Arrows.

Saintfiet dropped goalkeeper Charles Swini, who let in two goals last month when Malawi drew 2-2 with Kenya in a World Cup qualifier in Blantyre, and the pair of Gabadinho Mhango and Lucky Malata, who are trying their luck in South Africa with AmaZulu and BidVest Wits University respectively.

The Flames best run in the regional competition has been being runners-up to the Warriors and Bafana Bafana in the 2003 and 2002 editions.

Other seasoned players in the squad include Dave Banda and Fischer Kondowe.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) president, Cuthbert Dube, bailed out the Warriors by bankrolling their trip to Zambia yesterday morning on a mission to defend the Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup crown they won in style on home soil four years ago.

Zimbabwe had been scheduled to go on a road trip to Lusaka on Thursday, but flew on a chartered Air Zimbabwe plane after Dube intervened and paid for the chartered flight.

Zimbabwe won the regional tournament after a 3-1 home win over Zambia at Rufaro in 2009.