Kinnah promises Malawians race to Angola will go right down to the wire

Malawi national football team coach Kinna Phiri has promised that the Flames will fight that to the very finish of the Group E matches to ensure that the race for third position to qualify for Africa Cup of Nations in Angola will go right down to the wire.

Phiri said this after his Flames lost to Guinea 2-1 in Conakry registering three straight loses without a point and anchoring the table of the Group.

 Flames will first host Guinea at the Kamuzu Stadium in September in a match that could decide either way for the two teams.

Reaching the actual World Cup is now out of reach for these two teams, but the Nations Cup is still up for grabs, and despite Malawi holding up the bottom of the rankings anything can happen.

But Kinnah insisted: “We’ll never give up. We will fight on.”

In an interview after the game broadcast live on Zodiak Radio, Kinnah could not believe the loss which he attributed to his strikers who missed several clear chances.

“We created several chances and we would have won this game by even three or four goals but I don’t know what’s wrong with my strikers that they can’t score even when the goal keeper is not there.

“We really need to sit down and see how to rectify this problem. We seriously need to change the striking force and possibly put in young players,” said a disappointed Coach in an apparent reference to Russian based Essau Kanyenda, who has failed to score in six games. 

Kinnah –Malawi’s ‘Special One’ – however refused to give in saying chances of qualifying for Africa Cup of Nations in Angola next year were still there.

“Chances are still there, we just need to win them [Guinea] at home and then also win the remaining two games,” he imagined.  

Kinnah said he and the backroom staff will go back to the drawing table and emphasized that the striking force will be reorganized.

“We need to sit down and draw plans. We need to sharpen the striking force and we need young blood,” said the coach.

“We have to make a bit of a change at the striking force. We are having problems nobody can deny that,” he said.

The coach who is Malawi’s celebrated striker said there is still a flicker of hope for Flames to play in African Cup of Nations finals in January.

“But we should not be afraid. We shouldn’t give up and can still dream for Angola,” he said.

According to Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) commentator Mike Bango in Conakry, Malawi was a much improved side in the game as compared to two weeks ago when they lost 1-0 to Burkina Faso at the Kamuzu Stadium.

 Bango, however, bemoaned the standard of officiating by the Sudanese whistle man whose work left a lot to be desired.

Malawi’s leader of delegation in Guinea, Paul Mzungu admitted the situation for the national side is difficult.

“We are in difficult situation. We have to win other two matches and hope Guinea loses as well,” said Mzungu.

Malawi anchors the Group E with no point. Ivory Coast sits at the apex with three wins followed by Burkina Faso and Guinea.

Tagged with: 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Angola, Flames, Guinea, Kinnah Phiri, Malawi, Paul Mzungu

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