Malawi players ‘sorry’ for failing to qualify in AFCON finals
Malawi National team the Flames’ failure to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has been described as a let down to the nation.
Flames drew 0-0 with Ethiopia on Wednesday evening at the time the country was hoping for the team to make it to the final stage in Equatorial Guinea next year.
Team Captain Joseph Kamwendo did not mince words but to admit that the team indeed let the nation down by failing to qualify for the Afcon finals second time in the past 10 years.
“It’s difficult to comment when you find yourself in such a painful situation, but suffice to say we have let the nation down,” said Kamwendo.
He added: “We certainly could have done better, but I guess it’s one of those things.”
However, Kamwendo said the team tried its best, adding that it’s important to keep this team together.
The TP Mazembe midfielder said it was a tall order for Flames to make it through to the finals considering the circumstances the team went through in the final qualifying matches.
“There were so many problems that we faced behind the scenes in the countdown to the games, to a certain extent had a psychological effect on the players who were left wondering as whether there was any commitment towards the national football team,” said Kamwendo.
Flames hopes were dashed after Mali booked their ticket in Group B after beating 2-0 Algeria which had already won the group.
“Despite all that we went through, we showed that we are a good side and with better support, we could have done better. This is a national team and the responsibility cannot be left to FAM alone.”
Veteran striker Esau Kanyenda told Nyasa Times apologised on behalf of his teammates for the disappointment.
“All I want to say is sorry to the fans who have been disappointed, we are also affected by the way things turned out in Ethiopia,” he said.
The Polokwane City vastly experienced striker asked fans not to completely give up on the team.
He urged them to continue to pray for the players to psychologically recover and build a formidable team for the future.
And Head coach, Young Chimodzi, said it was disappointing to miss out on qualification.
“We fought hard but it was not meant to be. It’s disappointing,” said Chimodzi.
Chimodzi made one change in the squad that beat Mali 2-0 last Saturday at Kamuzu stadium replacing out of form Frank Gabadinho Mhango with Gastin Simukonda but had to rest Simimkonda for Frank Banda.
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U tried ur level bst bt t wasnt meant fo us dis tym……anyway we apreciate how u displayed ur skills at de pitch….maintain dat team spirit shown during de last two games u played…..GOD BLESS MALAWI,GOD BLESS FLAMES…….
The team is good only that we work hard on the last minute of the competition.thanks to the players.but walala wakukoma wose yayi pamuzi hii!
mukanyozamupindula? sioamba kuluza
atumbuka inu mwaonjeza anthu akuthengere inu pangani team ya nyika phulusa muzimenya pa mzuzu stadium, mwana uphunzire kuti ukaone BLANTYRE
Did you not put all the blame on former coach Kina for Flames’ woes? Are you succeeding now that Kina was forced out of the coaching lead? And since the taking of coaching head job by Chimodzi how many success stories did you register compared with the time of Kina? The tribalistic majority of Malawi simply hated Kina because of where he comes from. Kina is by far ahead of Chimodzi in terms of football coaching. And yet people are now quiet because one of them is head coach and supervising the downfall of Flames. I hated this team from… Read more »
asiyen
Apologies accepted next time do a better job. I known Algeria would not have wanted you to qualify. They deliberately lost to Mali as a revenge to a humiliation in Angola after we alliegned ourselves with Egypt their rivals in order to bit them. They were still bitter for that. It’s lesser evil for them to lose to Mali than to your
chimodzi is the one to be bramed and fam, as well as mG
Anthu inu team yathu ndi yabwinobwino nkhani apa ndi kusankha maplayers abwino for example kubwera kwa Fisher ndi Kanyenda kunasintha team yonse yet Coach anthuwa sanawayitane poyamba koma coz of public pressure. Dont forget there is politics in futball. Nanga Zicco Mkanda bwanji osamuyesa mpaka kulorera kuluza osafuna kumuseweretsako pangono ndikumuona kuti apanga perfom bwanji.Ma Coach komanso boma lathu lili ndivuto.
Eyooooooooo Inetu ndinaziwa kuti tiluza koma uyu amuti Young Chimodziyu ndiyemwe amaumilira.ndithokoze kuti simunawine koma mwangotengako Ebola kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Don’t apologise for being weak. It’s what you are….