Malawi National Football Team has been invited to compete in specially-arranged African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers.
This comes after Confederation of African Football (Caf) extended invitations to countries that had withdrawn from the initial qualifiers.
The countries’ national teams, comprising players who compete in their home leagues, will engage in play-offs for two slots at the 2025 Chan finals.
The competition is usually a 16-team competition but with Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya hosting this year’s finals, the number of teams to qualify has risen to 18.
Caf then made a decision to add more teams to make the finals a 20-team tournament.
Malawi will battle for the remaining two slots against Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Comoros, Gabon and the Gambia.
Caf is yet to announce the dates for the play-offs.
The two teams to qualify for the finals will be placed in Group C alongside Uganda, Niger and Guinea.
Caf conducted the draw for the finals in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday.
Initially, the continental finals were scheduled for next month but Caf pushed them to August this year.
Football Association of Malawi Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said they have accepted the invitation and the Flames will take part.
’’The Flames are back in this competition. We have accepted Caf’s invitation for the specially-arranged qualifiers and we will be there,’’ Zakazaka said.
Some media outlets in East Africa reported this week that the play-offs will take place from February 26-29 in Tanzania.
The development brings about the need for Fam to speed up the process of hiring a coach for the Malawi.
The association appointed Zimbabwean Kalisto Pasuwa as interim coach after sacking Patrick Mabedi due to poor results.
Sports analyst Parry Chinyama said the Flames need to prepare well for the play-offs.
’’It is a good opportunity for Malawi. With good preparations, the team can do well,’’ Chinyama said.
Malawi have never qualified for the biennial tournament’s finals since its inception in 2009.
The Flames came close to qualification in 2022 when they were eliminated on the away goals rule after 1-1 stalemate against Mozambique.
Malawi reached the second and final round of qualification without kicking a ball after Fifa banned Zimbabwe, their opponents.
0 Comments