Soccer lovers are set to be treated to an early soccer fiesta as arrangements are underway for the country to host a four-nation tournament for the senior men’s and under-20 national football teams during the upcoming March 18 to 26 Fifa international window.
The tournament will take place in Lilongwe, with visitors Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya being joined by hosts Malawi. This follows an agreement among the four countries’ football associations.
A joint press release issued Thursday states that the tournament provides the four nations with a perfect opportunity to prepare for the upcoming 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers slated for June and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
“The first tournament will feature the senior men’s national teams (A-teams) of our four countries. Additionally, a concurrent youth tournament for our under-20 national teams will take place during the same period.
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“By bringing together the best young players from across our countries, these under-20 tournaments will aid in developing and exposing elite youth talent while preparing teams for upcoming 2024 Afcon under-20 qualifiers later this year,’’ the press release reads.
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It adds that the tournament has been organised to strengthen relations of the four countries.
’’Our four nations are committed to collaborating for the advancement of football development and transformation across the region. We believe these joint tournaments will build camaraderie between our nations, provide high level competition for our players and elevate youth football programmes across Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia,” the release reads.
Malawi men’s senior football team and Zambia will be renewing their rivalry after meeting at the 2023 Cosafa Cup, with the Flames winning 1-0 in Durban, South Africa.
Zimbabwe and Kenya will be taking part in the tournament just months after world football governing body Fifa lifted their sanctions.
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Malawi have been idle since losing 1-0 to Tunisia in a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier in November last year at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
This could be a perfect opportunity for coach Patrick Mabedi to assess his troops ahead of upcoming tournaments in June.
Malawi started the World Cup qualifiers with a 1-0 win over Liberia in Monrovia.
The Flames are in Group H of the qualifiers alongside Namibia, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome, Tunisia and Liberia.
Former Malawi star Sherry Msuku said the tournament will help the four countries to fine-tune ahead of their respective fixtures.
“This is the way to go. It will help the technical panels to assess some of the players who need to be given a chance. We hope to watch an exciting tournament,’’ Msuku said.
This is the first time Malawi will be hosting a four-nation tournament involving senior and under-20 sides in many years. It is hoped that the country will build on its successful hosting of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games in 2022 to put up a great show.
