FAM’s competitions & communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka appointed as assistant general coordinator for 2023 AFCON

* Zakazaka was also general coordinator at the CAF African schools championship COSAFA qualifiers 2023 that was hosted by Zimbabwe last month

* He will be the sole Malawian who will be actively involved in the behind the scenes operations after the Flames failed to qualify

Maravi Express

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions & communications director, Gomezgani Zakazaka as assistant general coordinator at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Côte d’Ivoire 2023 that kicks off on January 13.

Zakazaka, who was successfully completed his role as general coordinator at the CAF African schools championship COSAFA qualifiers 2023 that was hosted by Zimbabwe last month, will be the sole Malawian who will be actively involved in the behind the scenes operations.

The Flames failed to qualify back-to-back for the continental showpiece while no Malawian referees was considered to officiate at this football fiesta.

Newly-elected FAM president Fleetwood Haiya and his predecessor Walter Nyamilandu, who is CAF executive member, will also grace the event in their official capacities.

Zakazaka, who to departed for Côte d’Ivoire on Tuesday, is among the 24 coordinators selected for the event and will be based in Bouake and he told Fam.mw that being chosen for a task at AFCON is an honour.

“This is the prime of African football and I feel humbled,” he told Fam.mw. “It is a breakthrough for Malawi football because I stand to learn a lot and the knowledge I will tap there will help develop our game.

“It shows the confidence that CAF has in Malawi and that there are some things that we are doing right in as far as match organisation is concerned.”

Meanwhile, MultiChoice Africa has announced that its Supersport channels will not broadcast the AFCON because it has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament.

However, it has been indicated that the AFCON games will be available through their partner broadcast stations on free to Air (FTA) channels.

The tournament in Côte d’Ivoire is expected to host the continent’s formidable teams and making it exceptionally fierce, as the defending champions, Senegal — who clinched their first ever AFCON title in Cameroon in the 2022 finals — are drawn in Group C against Cameroon, Guinea and The Gambia in what looks a competitive pool.

There will be a West African affair in Group A as hosts Côte d’Ivoire were paired with regional rivals Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

Record winners Egypt, hunting a record-extending eighth continental crown, renew hostilities with Ghana in Group B in a repeat of the 2010 final which the Pharaohs won late. Cape Verde and Mozambique complete the group.

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Angola add further star quality to Group D in another exciting pool while World Cup semi-finalists Morocco should navigate a comfortable Group F containing DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania.