Cameroon accepts Flames Friendly
The Flames stand a chance of rubbing shoulders with one the continent’s soccer greats Samuel Eto’o as Cameroon have accepted FAM’s request for an international friendly match on August 14.
However, the stumbling block could be a condition set by the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) that the match should be played in France, a move which could cost the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) about K20 million [$50 000] in air travel expenses.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu on Monday confirmed that the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon are ready to face the Flames in France since most of their players ply their trade in Europe.
“Cameroon have accepted our request, but they are demanding to play in Europe, preferably France which could be a stumbling block considering our financial situation.
“However, if we want good results, then we should be prepared to invest a fortune and Cameroon would be an ideal option in preparation for Nigeria because they play similar type of football and are also considered among the heavyweights on the continent,” said Nyamilandu.
He also noted that it is not easy for a big team such as Cameroon to accept an international friendly match against a lowly ranked team.
“In most cases, they demand part of the appearance fee for their players from the team requesting for a friendly match, but they have been rather soft with us,” he said.
According to The Nation findings, a return air ticket to France costs between K812 503 [about $2 032] and K895 498 [about $2 238].
This translates to over K20 million for a delegation of 25.
The figure could be much on the higher side for FAM who have been allocated K70 million [about $175 000] by government for national team engagements in the current financial year.
Nyamilandu also said the other option is Ethiopia who have also accepted a request for an international friendly match on the same day.
“We cast our net wider so as not to be caught off guard, but so far the teams that have shown serious interest are Cameroon and Ethiopia.
“Ethiopia are ready to host us, but on condition that we meet all our expenses for the trip. So, we are still negotiating with the two countries and by tomorrow [today], we should have a clear picture on which team we’re likely to play,” said Nyamilandu.
Former Flames captain Peter ‘Mjojo’ Mponda said the Flames would benefit more playing Cameroon considering the nature of opposition they are preparing to meet.
“Of course, of late, Ethiopia have made tremendous improvement as evidenced by their performance in the World Cup qualifiers, but Cameroon would be an ideal side for a test match because they play more or less the same type of football as Nigeria,” said Mponda.
Cameroon have qualified for the Fifa World Cup six times, more than any other African team (1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010). However, the Indomitable Lions have only made it once out of the group stage.
They were the first African team to reach the quarter-final of the global showcase, in 1990, losing to England in extra time. They have also won four Africa Cup of Nations titles. They boast of world-class players such as Eto’o and Alexander Song.
In a related development, FAM has also accepted football players’ agent Kondi Msungama’s proposal to arrange a build-up match between the Flames and a select side with the aim of giving national coach Tom Saintfiet a chance to get a glimpse of other players who are not part of the current Flames squad.
Nyamilandu said during the executive board meeting, it was observed that some outstanding players such as John Banda, Phillip Masiye, Harvey Nkacha and Gerald Phiri Jnr were not included in the squad that travelled to Zambia for the Cosafa tournament.
“So [Msungama’s] concept for a build-up match has been embraced subject to sponsorship,” said Nyamilandu.
