Malawi skipper Mzava out of Zimbabwe game: Coach Mtawali drops hitman Mbulu
Malawi national football team captain Limbikani Mzava has been ruled out of this Saturday’s African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers encounter against Zimbabwe due to an injury.
The Mpumalanga Black Aces defender suffered a harmstring injury some weeks ago and according to doctors, he is not ready to resume playing.
Flames Team Manager Clement Kafwafwa confirmed the development through a local radio on Tuesday.
According to Kafwafwa, Mzava has been replaced with Pilirani Zonda.
Coach Ernest Mtawali has since described Mzava’s injury as a big blow to the Flames.
He said at this stage, Mzava’s experience is needed but admitted nothing can be done.
This automatically means that vice captain Chiukepo Msowoya will lead the team according to Mtawali and Kafwafwa.
Mafco players dropped
Meanwhile, Nyasa Times understands that Mtawali has silently dropped Mafco FC hitman Richard Mbulu alongside two other Mafco team mates Stain Malata and Paul Phiri.
The trio were released last Friday together with other players whose clubs had assignments both in Super League and Presidential Cup over the weekend.
Among them were John Soko of Blue Eagles and Wonder Jeremani and Blessings Kameza of Silver Strikers.
The three were told to report back in Flames camp by Monday while Mbulu, Malata and Phiri were told to wait before returning as they will be called by the coach if their services will be needed.
When contacted for his comment on the matte, one of the dropped players Mbulu confirmed to be back at his base but refused to comment further.
Mbulu is the current leading scorer in the ongoing Presidential Cup and the TNM Super League.
He has scored 18 goals in the presidential cup while in the league account he has banged in five goals together with Chiukepo Msowoya with the same number of goals.
Mbulu guided his team to the Presidential Cup semifinal when he headed in the only goal of the match when Mafco beat Dwangwa United 1-0 on Saturday.
Last week, Flames beat Super League side Azam Tigers 1-0 in a practising match.
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Are you telling me that the Malawi national football coach is in his right senses to drop the leading goal scorer in the league and presidential cup? This unfathomable! Vardy and Kane have been the leading goal scorers in their league and the England national coach has not hesitated to include them in the squad, threatening the position of Rooney! And in Malawi the top goal scholar is left out? What is then the league for? Is it not to provide sharp players like Mbulu for the national team! Sometimes we fail because of strategy and not because we do… Read more »