Mario Marinica to assemble Afcon, Chan squads
Malawi National Football Team Coach Marian Mario Marinica will use the May 8 camp training to select players for Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and African Nations Championship qualifiers.
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the training will be in two phases.
“The first phase runs from May 8 to May 22. The players will then break and regroup on May 30. Thereafter, the coach will release his final squad, which will include foreign country-based players.
The Flames have been paired with Ethiopia, Egypt and Guinea in Group D of the 2023 Afcon qualifiers which kick off in June.
Malawi will start with a home tie against Ethiopia and then play Guinea away.
According to a call-up list that The Daily Times has seen, Nyasa Big Bullets defender Precious Sambani has been recalled after a long injury lay-off with Mighty Wanderers seasoned forward Chiukepo Msowoya also returning.
Bullets have eight players on the list with Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers contributing four each.
TNM Super League leaders Blue Eagles and Kamuzu Barracks (KB) have contributed three players each.
Bullets Chief Executive Officer Suzgo Nyirenda said the club is pleased with its dominant contribution to the Flames.
“We are happy that our players continue to dominate the national team call-up list. Management of our club works hand-in-hand with the technical panel in ensuring that our players are good enough for international football. We always demand high standards in whatever we do as a club.
“We always aim at winning each and every match we play. We want to be the leading brand in Malawi football. To achieve this, we demand the best from our players and technical panel. Dominating the national team call-up list is good news to us as a club,” Nyirenda said.
KB General Secretary Christopher Njeula described call-up of their three players as a fulfilment of their plans.
“At the beginning of the season, we developed a strategy to have at least two or three players in every national team call-up and things are working out as planned. Our technical panel has done its part and we have a management team that is very dedicated towards achieving our goals,” Njeula said.
Wanderers’ new signing Balikinho Mwakanyongo is the only new face to make it into the 30-man provisional squad.
The top contributions to the yet-to-be-released call-up list are as follows:
Bullets: Clever Mkungula, Gomezgani Chirwa, Precious Sambani, Alick Lungu, Blessings Mpokera, Hadji Wali, Anthony Mfune and Chimwemwe Idana.
Wanderers: Stanley Sanudi,Yamikani Chester, Mwakanyongo and Msowoya.
Silver: Stain Davie, Patrick Macheso, Charles Thom and Mark Fodya.
Eagles: Micium Mhone, Schumacker Kuwali and Gaddie Chirwa
KB: Hebert Wayekha, Patrick Banda and Zeliati Nkhoma.
Peter Fote is a Sports Journalist with huge experience in radio and Television reporting, production and presentation. He once worked with Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and is currently working for Times Media Group.
