The Malawi national football team technical panel says it is treating seriously, the team’s goalkeeping status by insisting all decisions are being made to deal with the situation.
This comes as in most recent World Cup qualification matches and the Cosafa cup, the side has relatively used William Thole, Richard Chipuwa, Brighton Munthali and Ernest Kakhobwe throughout.
This has marked concerns of a crisis about who is the first-choice goalkeeper.
But Flames head coach, Meke Mwase insists the changes have not come because of any dilemma at all.
“Look, the goalkeepers have been competing and due to the Covid19 pandemic, fitness and injuries, we have been these hard decisions. Please understand that the panel has its options’’ said Mwase.
On his part, Marian Marinica, who the Football Association of Malawi says will take up the role as Head of Technical Panel at the Africa Cup of Nations, says the panel is dealing with the situation.
“We intend to have special trainings and engagements about this and that’s one of the critical things we must look at’’ he told the media in Blantyre on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mwase has named a 34-member squad of local based players to start camp ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals scheduled for Cameroun in January next year.
The first group of players is expected at Mpira Village on Tuesday evening and they will undergo physical fitness tests on Wednesday before the start of training.
Marinica said they have included youthful players in the squad to make sure that there is a proper transition of players from junior to senior teams.
“We want to have a proper transition of the players from the junior teams to the senior teams and this is why we have included some players from the U20 team so that they learn from the senior players as they train and at the same time familiarise themselves with the philosophy that we are introducing,” said Marinica.
The panel is expected to release the final squad for the AFCON by 23rd December.
Malawi are in group B alongside Senegal, Guinea and Zimbabwe. The Flames will begin their Afcon campaign with a game against Guinea on January 10th before facing Zimbabwe on January 14th. The team’s last group stage match will be against Senegal on January 18th.
Below is the squad
Goalkeepers: Clever Mkungula (Nyasa Big Bullets Youth),William Thole, Richard Chipuwa (Be Forward Wanderers),Ernest Kakhobwe (Nyasa Big Bullets),Brighton Munthali (Silver Strikers),Innocent Nyasulu (Rumphi United)
Defenders Nickson Nyasulu, Gomezgani Chirwa(Nyasa Big Bullets),Stainley Sanudi,Peter Cholopi(Be Forward Wanderers), Paul Ndlobvu, Norchard Chimbalanga ( MAFCO),Mark Fodya (Silver Strikers), Lawrence Chaziya (CIVO),Kelvin Kadzinje (Mzuzu Warriors), Emmanuel Nyirenda (Mighty Tigers),Andrew Lameck (Bangwe All Stars)
Midfielders: Chikoti Chirwa (Red Lions), Chimwemwe Idana (Nyasa Big Bullets),Yamikani Chester (Be Forward Wanderers), David Daud, Innocent Msowoya (Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves), Misheck Seleman (Nyasa Big Bullets),John Banda (UD Songo), Schumacker Kuwali (UD Songo),Tawonga Chimodzi (Silver Strikers),Loyd Njaliwa (Moyale Barracks),Micium Mhone (Blue Eagles),Robert Saizi (Mpima Academy), Wisdom Mpinganjira ( Be Foward Wanderers)
Strikers: Mphatso Kamanga (Karonga United), Chikondi Mbeta (Maggie Chombo Acadamy), Hassan Kajoke (Nyasa Big Bullets), Vincent Nyangulu (Be Forward Wanderers).
