Malawi Under-20 out of CAF Championship

MALAWI Under 20 national soccer team today beat their Burundian counterparts 1-0 at the Prince Louis Rwagasore Stadium in Bujumbura, Burundi in the 2009 Africa Youth Championship preliminaries.

But the goal, courtesy of ESCOM United and Flames' promising forward Zicco Mkanda, was not enough to take the junior Flames into the first round of the continental youth competition.

The junior Flames needed to score two goals to nothing for them to proceed into the first round after they suffered a 2-1 painful home defeat during the first leg match played at the Civo Stadium in Lilongwe a fortnight ago.

It was a bad start for Ernest 'Wire' Mtawali, Malawi's former revered midfielder, who wore the shoes of his head coach Young Chimodzi currently in Germany for a coaching seminar. Mtawali is the assistant coach.

"We won 1-0 but we are out of the championship on goal aggregate after the Burundians beat us 2-1 at home," confirmed Walter Nyamilandu, Football Association of Malawi President.

According to reports from the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, the Junior Flames started the game on a high note forcing the hosts to play in their own half for the better part of the first half.

But despite the inclusion of three stars who missed the first game in Lilongwe in the names of Harry Nyirenda, Douglas Chirambo and South Africa-based Tawonga Chimodzi, the junior Flames were still short of fire power to upset the tables in the war-torn East African nation.

During the first game in Lilongwe, the Junior Flames shot themselves on the chest when they conceded a late-minute winner that gave the Burundians an edge.

The Junior Flames' defeat comes barely a few weeks after the senior national team were booted out of the newly introduced Africa Cup of Nations championship for locally based players.

After winning 2-1 at the Civo Stadium in Lilongwe, the team went on to lose 1-0 in Mozambique thereby giving the Mambas a win on away goal rule.

The hope is now on the Under 17 side which is also taking part in the CAF Under championship and they are scheduled to meet South Africa in August.