Flames excuse Gabadinho

Wonderkid Gabadinho Mhango has been granted special permission to train with the Flames during the afternoon training sessions only due to school commitments.

Gabadinho is set to sit for his Junior Certificate Examinations this year.

Flames team manager Charles Manda confirmed the arrangement on Wednesday.

“He [Gabadinho] will be training with us only during the afternoon sessions so that he can attend lessons,” said Manda.

However, Manda said the Big Bullets forward will be considered for the trip to Namibia for the 2014 World Cup qualifier.

“He is still in the coaches’ plans, but we have come up with that arrangement for the good of both parties,” he said.

Meanwhile, Manda has said, so far, only Moyale Barracks striker Gastin Simkonda is yet to join the squad as he is yet to get clearance from his employers, Malawi Defence Force (MDF).

“The process of getting his clearance is already underway and, hopefully, we should have him in camp in the next few days,” said Manda.

He also said the preparations started in earnest on Tuesday morning.

“Since we are facing a race against time, we’ll be having three training sessions per day.

“We’ll be having the first one at around 6am and the concentration will be physical and then we’ll be having two more sessions [from 11am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 5pm] and the focus will be on technical and tactical aspects,” he said.

Head coach Eddington Ng’onamo said the list of foreign-based players from South Africa, Mozambique and Angola will be announced in the next few days.

“The professionals will be considered purely based on performance. My colleagues here [Patrick Mabedi and Ernest Mtawali] have been closely monitoring the performance of players based in South Africa and, as for those based in Mozambique and Angola, we’ll rely on information from their respective coaches and the Internet.

“Their inclusion will not be automatic,” stressed Ng’onamo.