Malawi coach ready for ‘must-win’ game against Zimbabwe: Africa Cup of Nations qualifier

There will be no excuses if Malawi fail to win  in their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zimbabwe at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Saturday, coach Young Chimodzi has said.

Chimodzi told a news conference at Chiwembe Technical Centre in Blantyre on Wednesday morning that the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has played its part in giving them good preparatory strength testing matchs and now the ball was in the court of his charges to turn that into a success.

Apart from Zimbabwe, the Flames are also in the same Group Lwith Guinea and Swaziland. One team from the group qualifies for the finals.

The top two placed runners up from all 13 groups also qualify to join hosts Gabon who qualify automatically.

“There is no excuse,” Chimodzi told reporters, acknowledging the fact that FAM has provided the Flames more preparatory games; the latest being a warm up played on Monday in Egypt where the Pharaohs won 2-1.

Chimodzi insists he and his team are ready for the showdown.

“We have a team that is very prepared. FAM has given us everything we needed for preparations and we just have to deliver the goods,” Chimodzi said after the team’s sponsors Carlsberg Malawi Limited donated travelling bags and T-shirts to the team.

Malawi also played friendlies against Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa then participated in the Cosafa Cup 2015 which saw the Flames win the Plate division trophy.

The Flames will face Zimbabwe team which is dominated by players who ply their trade in South African football, as Partson Jaure of University of Pretoria and Eric Chipeta of Chippa United are also part of the squad.

Of the eight foreign-based players in the squad only Marvelous Nakamba, who plays for Vitesse in the Netherlands, has not played for a South African club.

Malawi also has  Esau Kanyenda who plies his trade at Polokwane City and Atusaye Nyondo of University of Pretoria, both in South Africa.