The Flames have declared that they are not intimidated by Nigeria’s past exploits ahead of Saturday’s 2014 World Cup qualifier at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Stand-in captain Moses ‘Luba’ Chavula and Joseph ‘Shakira’ Kamwendo said beating Nigeria is not beyond the realms of possibility and they are confident of pulling an upset.
Chavula said although the Flames have never beaten Nigeria, it is something that can be attained with a proper approach.
“It is not easy beating a team of Nigeria’ status, but that does not mean we cannot beat them. We have confidence that we can do well on Saturday,” said Chavula.
He also said it will be an opportunity for the Flames to showcase their talent to a wider audience.
“Of course, we need to accept the reality that Nigeria are a better side, but that does not mean that we cannot beat them and such is the beauty of this game that anything can happen,” said Chavula.
He also said although the Flames may not stand a realistic chance of World Cup qualification, they will give it their best shot.
On his part, Kamwendo said Nigeria’s name does not strike fear in their hearts.
“Of course, they are considered as one of the continental forces, but we are not moved. We are prepared to fight our lungs out tomorrow,” said Kamwendo.
The Mighty Wanderers midfielder also said the Flames are eager to give Malawians reason to smile on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Simplex Nthala said: “We know that Malawians have lost faith because of our recent unimpressive results, but I want to assure them that we’ll not let them down on Saturday.
“We are aware that a draw will not be good result for us and we are aiming for a win.”
Meanwhile, Fifa has given Kamuzu Stadium the green light to host tomorrow’s 2014 World Cup qualifier between the Flames and Nigeria.
Match commissioner Adam Mthethwa from Lesotho gave his seal of approval after inspecting the old facility on Wednesday afternoon.
FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda confirmed the development on Thursday.
“Of course, there were some few areas that he raised that need to be looked into, but generally he did not have any problems and gave his seal of approval,” said Nyirenda.
He also said security at the stadium will be tight.
“We will not entertain fans coming to the stadium drunk or bringing beer or drugs into the stadium,” he said.
He also appealed to the fans to come to the stadium in good time saying once the required number enters [27 000] the stadium, the gates will be closed.
Meanwhile, FAM commercial manager Casper Jangale said after a slow start in the sale of entry tickets on Wednesday, the process picked up on Thursday.
“A lot of people are buying the tickets especially in the townships. The sale of replica jerseys has also improved tremendously,” Jangale said.
