Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has finally secured a friendly match for the Flames to tune up for next weekend’s 2014 World Cup qualifier against Namibia’s Brave Warriors.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu on Sunday confirmed that the Flames will face Botswana in Gaborone on March 19 enroute to Namibia.
“Discussions with our Botswana counterparts have been successfully finalised and we [FAM] are going to finance the friendly against Botswana using the proceeds realised from the sale of replicas.
“The friendly is estimated to cost us about K7 million [about $19 444] and government will take care of the local camping costs as well as the Namibia game,” he said.
The FAM president said they felt it was important for them to show a sense of responsibility by contributing towards the team’s preparations.
“It is high time that the business fund was set up should be useful.
“The friendly against Botswana will give the new caretaker coaching panel an opportunity to assess the players. As I said, it would have been suicidal to face Namibia without a friendly match,” said Nyamilandu.
Flames caretaker coach Eddington Ng’onamo thanked FAM for securing the international strength-testing match.
“It would have been difficult for us to face Namibia without an international friendly match and the game against Botswana will afford me and my backroom staff an opportunity to assess the players and try different combinations.
“We are, therefore, very grateful to FAM,” said Ng’onamo.
A local squad of 25 players is currently in camp at Chiwembe Technical Centre. The squad will contribute 10 players who will join a similar number of foreign-based players that have been called up.
The foreign-based players are goalkeeper Simplex Nthala, defenders Limbikani Mzava, Harry Nyirenda, James Sangala and Moses Chavula, midfielders Robert Ng’ambi and Joseph Kamwendo and strikers Atusaye Nyondo, Peter Wadabwa and Zicco Mkanda.
