No camp for U-20
In an unprecedented scenario, the Malawi Under-20 national football team will participate at the 2018 Under-20 Cosafa Championship without camp training due to what Football Association of Malawi (FAM) described as government’s late confirmation on availability of funds.
FAM secretariat released the Under-20 squad on Wednesday evening and the players and coaches arrived in Blantyre yesterday. The team is expected to fly to Zambia today.
Under-20 coach Meke Mwase described the situation as tricky, but said they will do their best against other teams that named their provisional squads and started training several weeks ago.
FAM yesterday said in a statement that it decided to send the ill-prepared team to Zambia to avoid Council for Southern Africa Football Associations’ (Cosafa) wrath if they withdraw from the tournament.
“There was uncertainty on the team’s participation due to a delay in funding the team, which led to FAM’s hesitation in calling the team into camp and confirm participation with Cosafa. It has come as a huge relief that the funding has been approved,” reads in part a statement from FAM general secretary (GS) Alfred Gunda.
The GS said the association was aware of the consequences withdrawing from the competition.
“FAM notes with concern the impact the lack of a full camp may have on the performance of the team in Zambia, but the association had to make a decision to authorise the trip to avoid the wrath of sanctions from Cosafa, which would have had a lasting damaging effect on the Malawi football development agenda,” he said.
“Over and above, Under-20’s participation at the Cosafa Under-20 Championship is paramount to ensure continuity in youth players development through more international competitions exposure.”
A team that withdraws from the tournament faces a ban from two editions of all Cosafa junior tournaments.
Despite the Under-20 team last being active early this year when they played in the CAF Youth Championship qualifiers, Gunda was confident that the team can compete and just not participate at the tournament.
Mwase, who was travelling from his base Kasungu to Blantyre yesterday, said they would do their best despite lack of preparations.
“I was told about the trip on Wednesday evening and I am on my way to Blantyre. We just need to go out there and do our best,” he said.
Sports Council executive secretary George Jana said in an interview that they gave FAM a go-ahead to start preparations for the tournament.
“We told them that funds would be available for the Under-20 participation in Cosafa Youth Championship and they should have started preparations then. Sports Council should not be an excuse for failing to go into camp when. In fact we don’t even know that the team has not camped for the tournament,” he said.
Soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda blamed FAM for failing to plan for the tournament.
FAM already exhausted its 2018/2019 K300 million funding on the Flames, women seniors, Under-23, Under-20 and beach soccer teams assignments.
