Cup affects July 6 match preps

Flames coach Young Chimodzi has said today’s Carlsberg Cup matches will affect preparations for Sunday’s international friendly match against Mozambique’s Mambas.

The Flames will host the Mambas as part of the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebrations at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.

And Chimodzi wants to use the encounter as part of preparations for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final preliminary round, first leg against Benin on July 19.

FAM has arranged two quarter-final matches—one involving Mighty Wanderers and Mafco in Balaka and the other featuring Big Bullets and Azam Tigers at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

Three of the four teams—Wanderers, Mafco and Bullets—have in total contributed nine players to the Flames and were set to be released on Tuesday morning to join their respective teams.

“It will definitely have an effect on the preparations and it is an issue that is still under discussion with FAM,” said Chimodzi.

However, FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda and competitions officer Gomezgani Zakazaka yesterday said logistics for the games and Flames training had been put in place.

Nyirenda said Carlsberg Cup games cannot be rescheduled because they want to stick to the competition’s calendar.

“In principle, it has been agreed that the players should be released today [Tuesday] to join their respective teams and then return immediately after the games on Wednesday.

“We want to have the semi-finals played on July 8 or 9 and then the finals on July 26,” said Nyirenda.

The players that are with the Flames from the three teams are as follows: Wanderers: Richard Chipuwa and Francis Mulimbika, Bullets: Vincent Gona, Sankhani Mkandawire, Bashir Maunde and Tizgobere Kumwenda; Mafco: Zasher Mnong’oneza, Paul Ndlovu and Callisto Kalinda.