Malawi National Football Team Coach Kalisto Pasuwa Thursday named a predominantly youthful squad for the 2025 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (Chan) against Comoros at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in Lilongwe next week.
But the 27-member squad, which regrouped Thursday at Mpira Village in Chiwembe Township, Blantyre, has drawn mixed reactions from the football fraternity after Pasuwa overlooked some of the experienced locals ahead of the qualifiers.
This is Pasuwa’s first squad after signing a two-year contract as Flames coach last week.
The notable exclusions from the 27-member squad include TNM Super League golden boot award winner midfielder Isaac Kaliati, Blessings Mwalilino (both Mighty Wanderers), striker George Chaomba and Isaac Msiska (both Creck Sporting Club).
The quartet had a good season in the TNM Super League last season.
Kaliati scored 17 goals whereas Chaomba netted 12 goals in the league.
Mwalilino netted 11 goals for Karonga United in the league whereas Msiska scored 11 goals for Mzuzu City Hammers.
Kamuzu Barracks striker Zeliati Nkhoma, who scored 12 goals in the league, has also been overlooked alongside Wanderers striker Clement Nyondo.
The experienced duo of defender Stanley Sanudi and midfielder Chimwemwe Idana has also been omitted from the squad.
Blue Eagles goalkeeper Brighton Munthali is also not part of the squad.
Pasuwa was not readily available for a comment Thursday but Football Association of Malawi (Fam) Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said it was the coach’s prerogative to choose players for the matches.
“The coach [Pasuwa] is looking at a bigger picture. Chan is an opportunity for him to give youngsters the platform to showcase their skills,” he said.
Pasuwa has trusted four strikers Allen Chihana (Karonga United), Ephraim Kondowe (FCB Nyasa Big Bullets), Olson Kanjira (Kamuzu Barracks) and Emmanuel Saviel, who is on loan at Ekhaya from Zambia-based Mufulira Wanderers.
Sports analyst David Kanyenda, speaking in his personal capacity, said Pasuwa’s selection was dubious.
“For Chan, Pasuwa cannot afford to completely overlook all the top goal scorers in the elite Super League and select forwards with inferior statistics,” he said.
Another sports analyst George Chiusiwa said Pasuwa was trying to demonstrate his own tactical and technical approach.
“It is a good development that the Flames call-up has new faces that have not been tried at the senior level and this may be indicative of Pasuwa’s valuing player exposure and development relative to chalking instant results,” Chiusiwa said.
Some of the new faces in the squad are Adam Wallace, Charles Nkhoma, Khumbo Banda, Joseph Macdonald, Amos Sande, Chris Lwemba and Auspicious Kadzongola.
Meanwhile, Pasuwa has maintained the bulk of the backroom staff, with team doctor Felix Mwalule and analyst Michael Ngore the only new faces.
The Flames will face Comoros at BNS on March 2 before hosting them a week later at the same venue.
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