FAM defends Flames’ Bangladesh friendly
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has defended the choice of lowly-ranked Bangladesh for a friendly match against the Flames tomorrow.
Malawi face the Bengal Tigers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they are camping in preparation for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations’ (Afcon) back-to-back qualifiers against seven-time champions, the Pharaohs of Egypt, later this month.
FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said they did not have any other option.
He said: “These days it is difficult to secure a friendly outside Fifa international dates and the only readily available team was Bangladesh.
“So, we had to do with what was available.”
Bangladesh are ranked 192nd on Fifa world rankings, 68 places below the Flames while Egypt are ranked 32nd.
The Flames are also scheduled to face clubs from the host nation and Libya in practice matches.
Meanwhile, Scotland-based left-back Kieran Ngwenya joined the Flames in Saudi Arabia yesterday while two other foreign-based players, stand-in captain John ‘CJ’ Banda and Francisco Madinga, who are based in Mozambique and Botswana, respectively were expected to leave yesterday.
Zakazaka also said four team members, comprising players Blessings Mpokera and Alick Lungu, assistant coach Franco Ndawa and goalkeeper trainer Victor Mphande, who failed to depart with the rest of the squad on Saturday due to visa hitches, left the country yesterday.
“So, by tomorrow [today], we expect the entire squad to be in Saudi Aarabia,” he said.
The Flames are expected to depart Riyadh for Egypt on March 20 for the first leg scheduled for March 24 while the return leg will be at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe four days later.
