U-20 ready to defy odd, clueless on DRC tactics
Malawi Under-20 national soccer team coach Ernest Mtawali is confident of winning this afternoon’s do-or-die encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at Kamuzu Stadium despite being clueless on the visitors’ tactics.
Mtawali says they tried in vain to trace tapes or details of the Congolese’s preparations since March last year ahead of this afternoon’s CAF Under-20 Youth Championships’ second-round first-leg encounter.
“We are getting into this game blindfolded. We do not know their system of play or teams they have played since March last year, so it is difficult to make a proper game-plan.
“But we are not scared with these tricks. We will ensure not to concede an early goal as we did against Botswana at home. We will put them under pressure from the first whistle,” said Mtawali.
The Congolese technical panel, which is among a 35-member delegation that arrived in the country on Thursday, refused to talk to Weekend Nation during their first training session at Kamuzu Stadium on the day they arrived.
But what is clear is that the Congolese junior side, nicknamed ‘Small Leopards,’ never won an away game in the seven CAF U-20 games they played between July 2012 and March 2013. According to www.soccerway.com, at home they won 4-1 and 3-0 against Cameroon and Mauritius respectively.
A win today will see Junior Flames taking three-points to the second leg in Kinshasa on May 24 2014 and hope for a final flourish to get into the last qualifier against winners between Mozambique and Zambia who are also playing today in Maputo, Mozambique.
According to FAM technical director, John Kaputa, if the Junior Flames, who saw off Botswana with a 3-2 aggregate in the first-round encounters, beat either Zambia or Mozambique as well, then, they will make it into the finals in Morocco later this year.
“But the journey starts today. We have to beat DRC and dream about getting into the next round. We are confident of winning this game because we had ample time for camp training and friendly games,” said Kaputa.
If results of friendlies the Junior Flames have played are anything to go by, then the team’s readiness for this afternoon’s battle and the road to Morocco is assured. They have not lost in the eight trial matches they have played. They even put the icing on the cake last Wednesday by beating their seniors, Flames, 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium.
Given that Chawanangwa Kaonga, the scorer of Malawi’s two goals in Botswana, has fully recovered from a minor hamstring injury he suffered during the week, fans should expect a lip-smacking encounter this afternoon.
The 23-member Malawi squad is as follows; Goalkeepers: Brighton Munthali, Dalitso Makunganya and Steve Ticheta; Defenders: Trevor Kalema, Miracle Gabeya, Boston Kabango, Swedi Limbani, Mark Fodya, Stanley Sanudi and Lovemore Jere; Midfielders Matthias Nyirenda, Ben Manyozo, Enerst Tambe, Isaac Mwale, Isaac Kaliati, Abraham Kamwendo, Thokozani Harrison and Dalitso Sailesi; Strikers: Kaonga, Khumbo Ng’ambi, Prescious Msosa, Wongani Kuchisanja and Mapopo Kaunda.
