Flames fine-tune against Bafana
The Malawi national football team, the Flames, face South Africa’s Bafana Bafana this afternoon in Rustenburg, in what will be Young Chimodzi’s final opportunity to prepare his charges for the Cosafa Cup quarterfinal battle against Mozambique on Monday.
The Flames have drawn against Tanzania and lost against Zambia in the friendly matches played this year.
Chimodzi included foreign-based players in the Tanzania match while only locally-based players travelled to Zambia.
The 13 locally-based players have been joined by seven foreign-based players just yesterday and Chimodzi said the Bafana Bafana match would be a perfect opportunity to work on coordination in the team.
“This match is significant because it will give us the opportunity to assess the foreign-based players. We have been in camp for three weeks with the locally-based players, therefore, we had the chance to assess them properly. We want to see how they can work together with the foreign-based players,” he said.
Chimodzi added that today’s friendly match would also give the Flames the opportunity to rectify the shortfalls noticed in the two matches they have played so far this year.
“Our major problem has been scoring. We have created a lot of chances, but we have not utilised them. We have worked hard on finishing, therefore, we expect to produce good results at the Cosafa Cup,” he said.
Football Association of Malawi has given the Flames coaches, Chimodzi and Jack Chamangwana, the target of winning the Cosafa Cup to save their jobs.
Here is the full squad that is in South Africa for the Cosafa Cup:
Goalkeepers: McDonald Harawa and Charles Swini.
Defenders: Limbikani Mzava, Bas h ir Maunde, Yamikani Fodya, John Lanjesi, Lucky Malata and Francis Mlimbika.
Midfielders: Chimango Kayira, Fischer Kondowe, Micium Mhone, John Banda, Frank Banda, Gerald Phiri Jnr, Chikoti Chirwa and Ernest Tambe.
Strikers: Robin Ngalande, Zicco Mkanda, Muhammad Sulumba and Tizgobere Kumwenda.
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