Malawi National Football Team coach Kallitso Pasuwa has picked all the 23 players he called into camp for the international friendly matches against Ethiopia.
The Flames left for Addis Ababa yesterday via Bakili Muluzi International Airport in Chileka, Blantyre for the two friendly matches.
The first match will be played tomorrow while the second is set for Tuesday as part of preparations for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) operations director Gomezgani Zakazaka in an interview yesterday confirmed that none of the called players was dropped.
He said: “It’s the coach’s prerogative to pick which players he wants to take on any assignment.
“This time he has selected all the players he called into camp for the two friendly matches.”
down Mwisho Mhango
during the Flames training
session | Courtesy of FAM
However, Zakazaka said restrictions come into play when there is a maximum number of players indicated by rules and regulations of a particular competition.
He said: “It depends on whether it’s a friendly or a tournament. For example, during the Four Nations Tournament in Botswana in March, the maximum was 25, that’s why we went with that number.
“If it’s a friendly, it will also depend on what the two associations have agreed. For friendlies like these ones, it’s usually between 21 and 23 players.”
The Flames squad has returnees Kansanshi Dynamos midfielder Francisco Madinga, Green Buffaloes forward Christopher Kumwembe, Zanaco’s Chifundo Mphasi, Iraq-based Al Qasim FC centre-back Dennis Chembezi, Mighty Wanderers midfielder Blessings Singini and Japan-based Nankatsu SC defender Washali Jaziya.
United States-based Kalonji Soccer Academy forward Luciano Rundles also has a chance to earn a first cap for the Flames.
The Zimbabwena tactician has also maintained only Emmanuel Nyirenda, Macdonald Lameck, Robert Saizi, Yankho Singo, Lloyd Njaliwa, Festus Duwe, Lloyd Banega Aaron, Babatunde Adepoju, Ephraim Kondowe and Germany-based Mwisho Mhango from the Four Nations squad.
Pasuwa has also kept faith in goalkeepers William Thole, George Chikooka and Joshua Waka.
In an interview, the tactician said: “We wanted also to have an assessment of these other new guys whom we have been calling. We have players like Rundles. It’s his first time also to be called. So, we thought also to say we should give him game time so that we can see him with enough minutes of playing.
“Then we called also recalled Madinga, Kumwembe, Washali and Mphasi. We thought we should give them another chance so that we can see how best they can fare in these international matches.”
On goalkeeping, Pasuwa said stability remains key.
He said: “Goalkeeping is one of an area where we need to be very careful when preparing our team. Since I took over, Thole has been our number one and you can easily see that Chikooka is number two.
“And then on Joshua is a youngster whom we thought maybe is a promising goalkeeper for tomorrow. And yes, we have been training with him.,”
The Flames will be without foreign-based players such as Patrick Mwaungulu, Chikumbutso Salima, Chawanagwa Kaonga, Mayele Malango and Richard Mbulu.
