Flames end non-residential training

Malawi national team’s non-residential training ended last Friday when coach Meck Mwase released the players to join their respective clubs in pre-season training.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mwase said they have drilled the players in the three regions since January 28 to keep them fit as they are off-season.

He said the players will regroup for residential camping during the first week of March in preparations for African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou on March 28 before hosting them at the Kamuzu Stadium three days later.

Said Mwase: “We were working with the players because they were just idle as their teams were on break and with the Burkina Faso matches just a few weeks away it was important to keep them busy.

“Now that most of the teams have started pre-season training, we believe that players will maintain the fitness. The three weeks have been successful. We did everything that we had planned and we thank the boys for working very hard,” he said.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM communication and competitions director Gomezgani Zakazaka said resumption of the camp will ensure that the competition is stiff.

“They will now go into serious camping from first week of March, tightening the grip as local-based players were off-season,” he said.