Friendly with Chipolopolo uncertain
A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the eagerly awaited international friendly match between the Flames and reigning African champions Zambia’s Chipolopolo set for July 6 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
While Zambia have released their 26-member squad for the match, FAM on Sunday said it is yet to get approval of the same from government.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu said the final decision on whether the match will take place will be known this week.
“We were requested by government to approach our Zambian counterparts for an international friendly match and I spoke to my colleague Kalusha Bwalya, who accepted, but it looks like the programme for Independence Celebrations does not include a football match; hence, it is causing problems for the ministry to source funding for the match.
“The minister [of Youth and Sports] has requested us to wait for a while because he is taking up the matter further,” said Nyamilandu.
He said they would like to play Zambia because being the reigning African champions, they stand to learn a lot from them.
“It will also give us an opportunity for continuous preparations ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final round of qualification in September,” he said.
Meanwhile, Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) communications officer Erick Mwanza released names of their squad in Lusaka on Friday and said the team would go into camp on July 2 to start preparations for the game.
Zambia’s coach Herve Renard has dropped second-choice goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje from the list of 26 players.
Renard, currently in France, has left out Kakonje and opted to recall Power Dynamos’ Joshua Titima who was dropped for Chipolopolo’s 2012 World Cup Group D qualifiers against Sudan and Ghana earlier this month.
There is also a surprise inclusion to the team of injured Nkana Red Devils striker Evans Kangwa, who has seen little action since returning from the Africa Cup in February and has been out of action for the last six weeks.
Renard has also named in the team, newcomer Junior Zulu. Moses Siansumo of TP Mazembe and defender Aaron Katebe of Zimbabwean side Hwange are the only foreign-based players in the squad.
Mwanza said Renard would use the MTN/FAZ Super Division mid-season break from June 25 to July 14 to assess the developmental team that would be used for future engagements.
