Malawi National Football Team leader of delegation at the 2023 HollywoodBets Cosafa Cup, Madalitso Kuyera, has praised three of his players for lifting player-of-the-match awards.
The three are left back Alick Lungu, midfielder Patrick Mwaungulu and attacker Chawanangwa Kaonga.
The Flames seem to have struck the right cord under interim coach Patrick Mabedi with player-of-the-match accolades in all their three group matches.
The team has a perfect record in the three matches, having scored five goals while conceding none.
Lungu, Mwaungulu and Kaonga have been at the centre of Malawi’s top performances which have seen the team qualifying for the semifinals of the regional cup for the first time in 20 years.
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Speaking in an interview from Durban, South Africa, Kuyera said the three awards are an indication of the Flames’ good performance.
“It has been a satisfactory performance this far. Winning the three awards is a clear indication that the team has assembled talented players. This is motivating us as an association to continue giving incentives to the players and technical panel. I therefore challenge the team to continue playing as one unit so that we reach the Cosafa final.
“As Fam, we are very happy with the way the players are performing here. In addition to winning our group matches, we have managed to collect p layer – o f – the-ma t ch awards in every match we have played. There is no doubt, therefore, that this performance will continue in the semifinals. All we want is to win the cup and the confidence is sky-high,” the Football Association of Malawi Executive Member said.
Lungu won his award when the Flames beat Zambia 1-0 in the Group B opening match while Kaonga lifted his accolade during Malawi’s 2-0 victory over Seychelles on Sunday.
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Mwaungulu picked his award after the Flames’ 2-0 win over Comoros on Tuesday to win the group with a perfect nine points.
Football administrator George Kaudza Masina said the Patrick Mabedi-led Flames technical panel has proved that there is talent in Malawi.
“The major challenge over the years has been a memorised call-up all the time, which meant that deserving players were denied the chance to earn a place in the team. What our players have demonstrated is that when used in the right position and given freedom to enjoy the game, plus selecting players on merit, results are easy to come by.
“No wonder, we have lifted player-of-the match awards in every game our team has played at the Cosafa Cup. The football being displayed in South Africa is what Malawi is known for, unlike the strange philosophy of the recent past,” Masina said.
