Funding, preps boost for flames

The Flames have received a timely New Year gift after government assured them of additional funding for their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) back-to-back qualifiers against Egypt in March.

The assurance comes after Football Association of Malawi (FAM) exhausted its K210 million allocation for the current financial year which went towards the team’s Afcon qualifiers against Ethiopia and Guinea.

The association also got about K282 million additional funding, which FAM said went towards the African Nations Championship and Cosafa tournaments.

Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda yesterday said government will ensure that the Flames should fulfil their Afcon back-to-back qualifiers against the Pharaohs, which fall within the current financial year.

Said the minister: “We are aware of their situation and we’ll support them.

“It is important that they should prepare well and fulfil the fixtures.”

On his part, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said they were thankful to government and the minister in particular for their continued intervention.

He said: “We would like to applaud the Minster of Youth and Sports Honourable Richard Chimwendo Banda for tirelessly working to secure funding for the Flames.

“Egypt is ranked among the giants of Africa and they are record Afcon winners and we’ll need thorough preparations.”

The Flames are expected to have their first two-week residential camping later this month before travelling to Saudi Arabia next month from where they will proceed to Cairo, Egypt for the first leg scheduled for March 20. The reverse fixture is slated for seven days later at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

The Saudi Arabia trip will be funded by the host FA.

Ironically, all the four teams in the group have three points each, having won one and lost one.

The Flames beat Ethiopia 2-1 in their opening qualifier in June last year at home before going down 1-0 to Guinea’s Syli Nationale three days later in Conakry.