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
the’special one’ has said it all new blood…
New blood? which ones can stand the heat of ivory coast, palibe nkhani apa, we are losing coz they r gud teams. if a small team loses to big team its obvious but its wins is just part of the game.
My suggestion, the team to be maintained but shld just improve on substitution tactics: PLIZ Chiukepo shld be just be a sub.CAN KANYENDA PLAY IN MID-FIELD? . IN BT KINNAH SHLD START ZAKAZAKA AND ATUSAYE AS STRIKERS AND KANYENDA SHLD PLAY IN MID-FIELD AND SUBSTI ATUSAYE WITH CHIUKEPO IN SECOND HALF. INU AKINNAH MWADZIWA LITI KUTI KANYENDA WAKALAMBA. IT IS THE SAME TAEM WHICH BEAT EGYPT, DRC DYBOUTI. I DONT AGREE WITH THIS. PLIZ MAINTAIN THE TEAM. JUST PLAY FRIENDLY GAMES WITH EIGHER NIGERIA AND CAMEROON
I disagree with you Chidakwa. Esau is not helping matters at all as far as the flames dismal performances are concerned. How do u explain a quality striker missing 6 chances in a single game and not finding the net in 6 consecutive games? next time he should be on the bench. What we need for a striker is goals everything else is secondary and not necessary. Chiukepo is a good example
dear brothers and sisters. i have said time and again that we dont utilize things that we have competetive advantage in. last time malawi won a trophy was over twenty years ago {i stand to be collected} second time they came close was under coach KIM. frankly speaking soccer is not for us. my plea to authorities is to put much resource in NETBALL, for obvious reasons 1/ we have a winning team 2/ it is wasy to manage because of few numbers 3/ our women are much organized than zidakwa zathu izi 4/ there is high level of discipline in netball evidenced by old players in the likes of Mary Waya who is our star but can make things happen on the court. forget about kanyenda, he will never score again. watch him on facebook instead of feeling sorry for himself, he is busy making funny statements. i quote, “ma over the bar anavuta pa chichiri,” “ndani analemela posewela mu malawi national team.” what he is forgetting is that he was spotted from the same national team. if memory saves me right, it was during a game we played and won against angola in the cosafa castle cup. i rest my case and i wish my netball queens all the best.
i completely agree with you. Right now let all back our netball ladies by giving them enough funding for training and even remunerations.
and whilst we do that let start from the beginning with soccer.
the presidential cup was a way to go, but more actions needed to spot younger talent and grow it
Kinnah is wondering what’s wrong with our strikers. I am kind of confused. I thought he uses only one striker in his system. If 4-5-1 doesn’t work then try something else. There may be nothing wrong with the strikers.
Jay its not the system that is making Esau and his strike partners miss chances. If he was not getting the chances, yes you would blame the system. But alas, here is our number one striker who can afford to miss 6 chances in a single game and I cant even remember the last time he scored for Malawi. Lets try these other guys, and leave kanyenda on the bench for two or three games or bring him on as a substitute.
Everytime we lose its always,”oh we played well but luck wasn’t on our side” or “oh pray hard that we win the next game”.Come on Kinnah obviously something is wrong here.Do we have to lose every game.How about just a draw?There is something seriously wrong either with our defence or our goalie.The stats don’t lie.
How about taking it to the players themselves and letting them know whats at stake?It seems Kinnah baby sits these guys alot.The complain too much about game bonuses,how about going out there and playing then making your demands after you have proven yourselves.I want to hear Peter Mponda start taking responsibilty as the captain of the team for once.He needs to show passion that these losses are hurting than just say “oh we promise a win the next game”,how?
Most of you seem to forget that during Constatines stint Malawi palyed a total of 13 friendlies.The flames lost 9,drew twice and won twice.Its been the same players for the last 3yrs and yet to this day we still complain about funding from govt.We need to go out there and prove to our country that this team is a worthy investment.We are a poor country so funding will not come easy at all.
Please, FLAMES, at least just reach the Africa cup and make us proud.Its possible.Just beat Guinea to KAMUZU BANDA Stadium.Then you will have 3 points.Force a draw in Burkina, 4 points. Then try and survive Ivory coast at Kamuzu stadium. You can beat Ivory coast. Kamuzu banda was built by MCP. wE CAN MAKE IT MALAWI.
What do you mean when saying kamuzu banda.do you have any information and who told you that kamuzu stadium is kamuzu banda shit.you must edit before write
Chokani inu a akaisi44 a chisilu. you dont know that Kmuzu stadium is KAMUZU BAND stadium. Kamuzu stadium is just a short cut. Muna phunzirapo social studies, kapena you are just a bulutu
and i know that the the stadium was built in the colonial era! Kamuzu Banda was sworn in as the first prime minister of the republic in that very stadium and I hear that it was called rangely stadium(or something like that). ofcourse it has been expanded over the years….so i am not confortable with the statement that’kamuzu banda was built by mcp’..be serious happy girl!
Koma zovuta kobasi koma let wait and see
FLAMES FLAMES FLAMES FLAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The remaining 3 games with a miracle ku Angola kokhako tikhoza kupita.
Guinea ikabwera mu September yofunika kuithowa.
Andinene andinyoze SINDIDZASIYA…..FLAMES can make it to Angola.
Kinnah, Just say we need a right replacement for Kanyenda. Nothing else. We have all witnessed that he no longer finds the net despite having clear opportunities on goal.
We still have chances to go to Angola. My hope is based on what happen in South Africa yesterday where USA has gone through to semis from the bottom of the group.
Change Kanyenda and give a chance to those boys who want to make their names. Kanyenda should start from the bench.