The Flames suffered a huge setback at the weekend when three more key players—defender Foster Namwela and strikers Esau Kanyenda and Chiukepo Msowoya—ruled themselves out of Wednesday’s strength-testing match against Rwanda’s Amabvubi.
The development will definitely give coach Tom Saintfiet plenty of food for thought in the countdown to the September 6 do-or-die 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Super Eagles of Nigeria as he will be without five key players in Wednesday’s build-up match.
Already, Mozambique-based captain Joseph ‘Shakira’ Kamwendo and striker Zicco Mkanda are out due to work permit hitch and injury respectively.
Saintfiet on Sunday confirmed the unavailability of the trio, saying: “Esau is nursing an injury and will be out for the next three weeks, Chiukepo also picked up an injury while playing for his club [Maxaquene] in Mozambique while Foster has a problem with his travel document.
“It is not a good situation because I want to use the Rwanda game to assess more foreign-based players and try the combinations that I intend to use for the Nigeria game.”
However, the Flames mentor remained upbeat, saying despite a number of key players missing, he still has a good squad.
“There are still a lot of good players and hopefully we can get a positive result in Rwanda that can boost the confidence of the team,” he said.
Saintfiet said Kamwendo has since been replaced by Douglas ‘Chibadula’ Chirambo, George Nyirenda will feel the boots of Namwela while lanky forward Ishmael Thindwa was earmarked to replace Chiukepo and Atusaye Nyondo will replace Kanyenda.
Chiukepo and Kanyenda on Sunday confirmed in telephone interviews from Maputo and Polokwane respectively that they would not be part of the Flames squad for the Rwanda friendly.
Said Chiukepo: “I stretched my muscles during a league game against Costa Dol Sol yesterday [Saturday] and I am expected to start treatment this afternoon.”
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu also described the development as a huge setback, especially coming at a time when the team is supposed to prepare for the Super Eagles game.
“We are disappointed; the coach is also disappointed that he could not get the key players he wanted to look at. In particular, he [Saintfiet] is disappointed with the absence of Joseph,” said Nyamilandu.
The Flames flew out to Rwanda Sunday morning.
