FDH bank cup final shifted
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has shifted the FDH Bank Cup final from October 8 to 23 following a clash of fixtures with the Cosafa Under-20 Championship in e-Swatini, formerly Swaziland between October 6 to 17.
FAM competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the decision will allow Bullets Reserves, who have contributed more than three players to the Under-20 national team, to have a full squad for the final.
He said: “Tentatively, we had planned that the FDH Bank Cup final would be played on October 8. But we have changed to October 23. The reason for the change is that one of the finalists, Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves, have contributed players to the Under-20 national football team. So, as per our rules and regulations, if a team has contributed more than three players to a national team, they are exempted from fixtures.”
Bullets Reserves have contributed seven players to the Under-20 team. These are their captain Yamikani Mlogeni, Andrew Lameck, Kondwani Chirwa, Happy Mphepo, Emmanuel Savieli, Lloyd Aaron and Wongani Kaponya.
Zakazaka said the Under-20 Cosafa Championship is an important tournament while Reserves also deserve their full squad when they play in the final.
He said: “The Cosafa Under-20 tournament will also be the TotalEnergies Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The finalists will qualify for the continental finals that will be held in Egypt early next year. The Under-20 Afcon in turn, is the qualification route for the 2023 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia.”
Nyasa Big Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga welcomed the change of the date for the final.
He said: “The logic was to proceed with the finals on condition that all the Reserve team players are released to take part in the finals or shift the date of the cup finals.”
After a-three-year absence, Malawi returned to Cosafa Championship in 2016, but could not make it past the first round.
Malawi came closer in 2017, gaining five points, but missed out on the top spot in their pool on goal-difference with Uganda.
In 2018, Malawi finished bottom of their pool with a single point from three games, but improved in Zambia in 2019, where they were knocked out after beating Comoros (4-0), drawing with Botswana (2-2) and losing to the hosts (2-1).
Malawi’s last appearance was in 2020 where they won against Comoros (1-0), before losses to Namibia (2-1) and Zambia (2-0).
Last year, Malawi did not take part in the tournament which Mozambique won in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Malawi have qualified for the Afcon Under-20 once in 1999 in Ethiopia where they finished in the group stages after losing all their matches.
