Ngwenya finalises Move to flames

Scotland-based Aberdeen FC defender Kieran Ngwenya has completed required processes and will now be able to play for the Malawi national football team.

Born to a Malawian father from Mzimba and a Caribbean mother, Ngwenya, 18, who holds a British passport, needed to fulfil Fifa requirements for him to represent Malawi.

Fifa statutes state that “the only document considered being valid proof of a player’s identity and nationality shall be a permanent international passport.”

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions and communication director Gomezgani Zakazaka confirmed that the player has completed the process after obtaining a Malawian passport.

He said: “As a minor, Ngwenya can have a dual citizenship under the current laws. But he needed a Malawian passport [as a form of identification during Fifa matches] for him to be allowed to play for Malawi. He couldn’t have used the British passport.”

According to www.immigration.gov.mw, on Citizenship by Descent [Section 5],  “a child born outside Malawi to one or both of the parents who are Malawi citizens by birth, that child is automatically Malawian and can obtain a Malawi passport provided he is a minor [under 21]”.

On dual citizenship for minors, www.immigration.gov.mw states that: “Any person upon attainment of 21 years of age is a citizen of Malawi who also to his own knowledge is a citizen of some other country shall cease to be a citizen of Malawi on his 22nd birthday.”

This means Ngwenya’s Malawian citizenship will cease when he turns 22 and will have to choose to either be British or Malawian.

Meanwhile, The Flames fly to Tanzania this afternoon for an international friendly match against hosts Tanzania without captain Limbikani Mzava.

The Flames coach Meck Mwase said he excused Mzava after the centre-back suffered a knock on Saturday during his team last game of the season.

The AmaZulu defender has become the third senior player to be ruled out of the match.

 Midfielders Gerald Phiri Jnr and John CJ Banda were also rule out of the international friendly.

“Gerald got injured last week and was ruled out for four weeks by his club. But he still reported for camp and was assessed by our doctors who confirmed his injury.

“Mzava also had a knock and we decided to let him rest and recover in South Africa instead of coming here for assessment. We wish the two quick recovery.

“For John, we decided to let him remain in Mozambique and help his club,” Mwase said.

The coach described the absence of the three senior players as a blow to his 2022 World Cup qualifiers preparations.

“It is a blow not to have the three players who are leaders in the team. But this being a friendly match,  it will give an opportunity for others to show us if they can rise to the occasion,” he said.

However, Mwase still has eight players who play outside the country.

Frank Gabadinho Mhango, Tawonga Chimodzi, Richard Mbulu, Ngwenya, Charles Petro, Dennis Chembezi, Peter Banda and Khunda Muyaba are available for selection.

Mbulu, Gabadinho  and Chimodzi were the last to arrive as they joined the Flames camp at the Mpira Village in Blantyre on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Tanzania coach Kim Paulsen, who returned to coach the Taifa Stars for the second spell last February, has retained most of the players that featured in the Total African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in March.

The Flames are expected to fly to Tanzania this afternoon and the match will be played at the Benjamin Mkapa stadium on Sunday afternoon.