The Flames regrouped on Monday in preparation for Saturday’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) 2024 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (Chan) last qualifying round tie against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
The two sides clash at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe before the second leg set for South Africa on May 11 and the winner will book a place at the finals to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in August.
Football Association of Malawi competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka in an interview on Tuesday said all players reported for the camp.
He said: “All the players are in camp. They underwent medical check-up and were certified fit for the match.”
Malawi qualified for the last qualifying round with a 4-0 aggregate win over Comoros following 2-0 victories in first and second legs at Bingu National Stadium in February.
South Africa, on the other hand, qualified with a 4-2 aggregate win over Egypt following a 1-1 first-leg draw at home and a 3-1 away victory.
Coach Kallisto Pasuwa has maintained the squad that booted out Comoros in the first round of the qualifiers with some few additions.
New faces in the squad are FCB Nyasa Bullets defender Andrew Jovinala, Mighty Tigers goalkeeper Lucky Tizola, Mighty Wanderers defender Emmanuel Nyirenda, midfielder Blessings Singini, striker Promise Kamwendo, Ekhaya FC defender Fanizo Mwansambo and Moyale Barracks midfielder Charles Nkhoma.
Pasuwa has also recalled Kamuzu Barracks duo of strikers Zelliat Nkhoma and Olson Kanjira, but dropped Bullets striker Ephraim Kondowe, Wanderers’ Masiya Manda and Moyale Barracks’ Allen Chihana, who were in the squad that faced Comoros.
Meanwhile, South Africa Football Association has announced that the team, which also regrouped on Monday, will arrive tomorrow.
Malawi and other six countries, namely: Algeria, Comoros, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambi a and South Africa, were re-engaged after initially excusing themselves from Chan, hence the play offs after other teams already qualified for the finals.
Malawi has never qualified for the Chan tournament which was introduced in 2007 to promote local players.
