Fans to cheer Flames in Zimbabwe
National football team supporters committee is organising a trip to Zimbabwe to cheer the Flames as they take on the Warriors in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifier in Harare on June 4.
Supporters committee chairperson Yona Malunga and Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu confirmed the development on Sunday.
“This is a must-win game for our team if we are to revive our slim hopes of qualifying for the tournament.
“I approached the FAM president to consider sponsoring a group of between 60 and 70 supporters to cheer the team because the atmosphere in Harare will be intimidating and our boys will need morale support,” he said.
The flamboyant fan said Nyamilandu accepted to provide a bus and fuel, but that the fans will have to cater for their expenses such as food, accommodation and entry fee for the match.
On the criteria for choosing fans for the trip, Malunga said: “We are not going there for shopping. We know our members who are active and committed and these are the ones who will be given priority.
“In the Central Region, we have Zachariah Kasakura, who is our coordinator there and we also have representatives in the North.
“We are planning to travel with at least a group of 70 fans [30 from the South and 20 each from the Centre and North].”
He said the fans will be required to have a valid passport or travel document and that departure date is June 3 from Blantyre.
“We are also planning to approach the Ministry of Sports to ask for another bus so that more supporters can travel to Zimbabwe,” he said.
On his part, Nyamilandu said: “It is an option that can be considered if they [supporters] are well organised. We will need morale support in Zimbabwe to overturn the tables.”
He also said in view of the conflict in Mozambique, they are assessing the safety of the travelling contingent day by day.
“We are hopeful that the situation will normalise and that it will be safe to travel,” said Nyamilandu. n
