Domestic powerhouses FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Silver Strikers have once again expressed reservations over Malawi National Football Team’s camp training, which falls outside the Fifa International window.
Flames coach Patrick Mabedi named a 31-member squad of home-based players to go into camp for next month’s 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
However, Wanderers and Silver have insisted they will not release their players before Fifa-sanctioned dates.
Bullets have released only five players out of the 10 that Mabedi has included in his provisional squad.
Bullets Chief Administrative Officer Albert Chigoga said out of the remaining players, Ephraim Kondowe and Chikumbutso Salima are injured.
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“The rest will be training with the team until the Fifa calendar week. The decision to camp outside the Fifa calendar needs to be seriously revisited, especially now that we are into the seventh week of the TNM Super League,” Chigoga said.
Apart from Kondowe and Salima, Bullets have contributed Innocent Nyasulu, Yamikani Mologeni, Precious Sambani, Blessings Mpokera, Patrick Mwaungulu, Lloyd Aaron, Chrispin Mapemba and Lanjesi Nkhoma.
Silver Chief Executive Officer Patrick Chimimba said they will release the players in conformity with Fifa rules and regulations.
“The rules are clear on when to release players for Fifa games. Outside these dates, there are issues to do with insurance that football associations have to clarify before clubs release their players. So, at this crucial stage of the league, it is suicidal for clubs to release players outside the Fifa window,” Chimimba said.
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Wanderers Chief Executive Officer Panganeni Ndovi also questioned the rationale of the prolonged Flames camping.
“We need to start looking into the issue of camps being organised in line with Fifa rules and guidelines. Such prolonged camps affect preparations at team level. It is not on that we should be releasing players for such long periods when the rules clearly stipulate that players should be released for national assignments within the Fifa calendar,” Ndovi said.
Football Association of Malawi Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said after starting the camp training in Blantyre yesterday, the Flames will relocate to Lilongwe on May 27.
“During the camping, the players will be allowed to return to their respective clubs to fulfil club assignments where necessary. The camp training is starting with home-based players and the list of those playing outside the country will be released later,” Zakazaka said.
The Flames will host Sao Tome and Principe on June 6 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe before travelling to Equatorial Guinea four days later.
Malawi are in Group H of the qualifiers and started their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Liberia away before losing to Tunisia by a similar margin at home.
Below is the full squad.
Goalkeepers-Nyasulu (Bullets), Charles Chisale (Creck Sporting Club), George Chikooka (Silver) Blessing Juma (Civil Service United)
Defenders-Mark Lameck, Tatenda M’balaka, Nickson Mwase (Silver), Stanley Sanudi, Lawrence Chaziya (Wanderers), Mologeni, Mpokera, Sambani (Bullets), Alex Kambilinya, Kelvin Banda (Tigers)
Midfielders-Mapemba, Mwaungulu, Nkhoma, Aaron, Salima (Bullets), Wisdom Mpinganjira, Blessings Singini (Mighty Mukuru Wanderers), Moses Banda (Civil), Chimwemwe Idana, Uchizi Vunga, Patrick Macheso (Silver), Wongani Lungu (Mzuzu City Hammers)
Strikers-Adiel Kaduya (Silver), Zeliat Nkhoma (Kamuzu Barracks), Kondowe (Bullets), Chrstopher Kumwembe, Gadi Chirwa (Wanderers).
