Mwase meets FAM to plan for Afcon
Flames coach Meck Mwase says he will meet FAM technical subcommittee on Monday to present his preparatory plan for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals and 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
The Flames gaffer also said his wish is that the Malawi national football team should regroup next month to step up preparations and play a number of international friendlies against teams that have also qualified for the continental showpiece.
Mwase further said he wants the team to camp abroad, citing England or South Africa.
He said: “I have a meeting with FAM [Football Association of Malawi] technical subcommittee on Monday where I will submit my preparatory plan for its scrutiny and guidance.
“The team needs to camp where there are high performance centres and England or South Africa would be ideal.”
The coach said he is hopeful that the resources towards the proposed preparatory activities will be sourced so that the team should have thorough preparations.
He reiterated that the team can benefit in terms of tactical and psychological advice from experts by camping abroad.
Flames second vice-captain Stanley Sanudi said what the coach has asked for is ideal in ensuring that the team is ready for the tournament.
“This [Afcon] is a tough tournament that needs thorough preparations. It is indeed ideal that the team that we should camp where there are top-class training facilities ,” he said.
FAM technical subcommittee chairperson Tiya Somba-Banda says the coach will be provided all the necessary support and resources for the Afcon preparations bearing in mind that there are specific Fifa dates for friendly games.
Soon after Flames’ qualification for Afcon, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said the association was planning that the team should play at least 10 games, including World Cup qualifiers, before the African safari.
He also hinted at overseas or West Africa camping before the Afcon tournament.
FAM has set up a task force to mobilise resources for the Flames’ participation at Afcon finals and has set a target to raise K400 million.
The task force chairperson Jabbar Alide, who is also FAM vice-president, recently said: “The total FAM budget for Afcon, which includes the preparations, is pegged at about K1.5 billion.
“We are informed that the current budgetary allocation from government towards the national team is about K350 million.
“FAM will also tap into the travel subsidy that it gets from CAF [Confederation of African Football] and Fifa, and also some sponsorship from FDH Bank plc as well as television rights here and there.” Alide said they are also informed that a special request to government for about K700 million has been made by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
