Flames, Chipolopolo renew rivalry
Whether it is politics, culture or geography—Malawi and Zambia share way too much the rivalry in most facets of life, including football.
Therefore, there will be no love lost when the Flames tangle with the Chipolopolo in today’s international friendly match at the 5 000-seater Lusaka’s Nkoloma Stadium.
Forget that is is a mere warm up match. There is nothing just like a friendly match between the two footballing sides both will settle for nothing less of a win and with it, this weekend’s bragging rights.
Expect the winner to call the loser his wife (akazi wathu). It is for this reason that recalled Zambia seasoned winger Felix Katongo added fire to the rivalry.
“We don’t take it as a friendly. Any game is like a cup game. We should just teach them (Malawi) football so that they know we are champions,” Katongo told Zambia’s Post newspaper of Thursday.
The significance of the match is big. The game gauges both teams’ preparedness for the 2015 Cosafa Cup and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers getting underway on March 17 and June 15 respectively.
Seeded Malawi get their Cosafa quarter-finals show going when meeting the Mambas of Mozambique in South Africa, before setting out on the Afcon marathon in Group L by hosting Zimbabwe.
For Flames coach Young Chimodzi, his charges will also warm up against Bafana on May 22 2015 in South Africa. After the Cosafa Cup, Malawi travel to Egypt to psyche up for the Afcon qualifiers.
Such is a menu for the Flames that Chimodzi thinks he needs depth in the playing squad that is why he is travelling to Lusaka with rookies such as Muhamad Sulumba, Amos Khamula, Tizgobere Kumwenda and Victor Limbani.
“My message to the newcomers is that this is your chance, grab it. Whoever performs will be picked for the Cosafa squad. We are comfortable in defence and midfield, but we lack a home-based aggressive striker who can step up to the plate, when the foreign-based players are unavailable,” Chimodzi told Nation on Sunday before departure on Thursday.
For Zambia, there is no taking chances for coach Honour Janza who has struggled to reach the lofty standards set by his predecessor Herve Renard.
Understandably, Janza has called up a strong squad which includes TP Mazembe’s Rainford Kalaba, Given Sunguluma and Kabaso Chongo. Zambia will miss most South Africa-based players such as Kennedy Mweene.
In the last meeting on July 6 2012, Malawi beat the newly crowned Africa champions 1-0 through Joseph Kamwendo’s strike at Kamuzu Stadium. Kamwendo is unavailable for the match.
With some four Europe based players against one Tawonga Chimodzi for Malawi, Zambia are giants of Africa football currently ranked 60th in the world, some 37 places ahead of the Flames. But statistics suggest it could be a close contest.
