Malawi National Football Team has received a timely boost ahead of two 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers following captain John ‘CJ’ Banda’s joining of camp training at Chiwembe Technical Centre in Blantyre.
The Flames are preparing to face Liberia in Monrovia on November 17 before hosting Tunisia at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in Lilongwe four days later.
However, coach Patrick Mabedi is yet to release names of foreign country-based players for the two matches.
Football Association of Malawi Technical Manager James Sangala said Banda is the only foreign country-based player in camp after arriving from Mozambique where he plays his club football.
“We will release names of other players to join camp from foreign clubs once everything has been finalised,’’ Sangala said.
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Banda had a grand game for the Flames in the 2-2 draw against Guinea at BNS in the last match of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
He arrived in the country on Monday after the conclusion of Mocambola League matches in Mozambique, where he plies his trade with UD Songo.
Banda described the Liberia and Tunisia matches as crucial.
’’We need to prepare well for the two games. Liberia and Tunisia are very good teams but we can match them,’’ he said.
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The Flames are expected to travel to Monrovia on Monday for the first match.
However, striker Chawanangwa Kaonga has been ruled out of the two matches due to injury but South Africa-based forward Gabadinho Mhango is expected to return to the Flames fold after missing out on two Afcon qualifiers against Ethiopia and Guinea.
Malawi’s home-based players started camp training last week and Mabedi has since summoned 19 players for the second week of training but without FCB Nyasa Big Bullets stars due to their TNM Super League matches.
The Flames are in Group H of the qualifiers alongside Tunisia, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia and Sao Tome and Principle.
