* Team to camp in Blantyre for two weeks before moving to Lilongwe on May 27
* The players will be allowed to return to their respective clubs to fulfil club assignments where necessary
By Duncan Mlanjira
Flames coach Patrick Mabedi has named a 31-man provisional squad of local based players who started camp today in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Sao Tome e Principe at Bingu National Stadium on Thursday June 6 before facing Equatorial Guinea away in Malabo four days later.
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A communique from Football Association of Malawi (FAM) quoted communications director, Gomezgani Zakazaka as saying the team will camp in Blantyre for two weeks before moving to Lilongwe on May 27 and the players will be allowed to return to their respective clubs to fulfil club assignments where necessary.
“Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers players will join the camp later due to club engagements as the play in a Kamuzu Day celebrations ceremonial match [tomorrow],” he is quoted as saying, adding that the list of foreign based players will be released later on.
The provisional squad has goalkeepers: Innocent Nyasulu (Nyasa Bullets), Charles Chisale (Creck Sporting Club), George Chikooka (Silver Strikers) and Blessing Juma (Civil Service Sporting Club);
Defenders: Mark Lameck, Tatenda Mb’alaka, Nickson Mwase (all Silver Strikers), Stanley Sanudi, Lawrence Chaziya (Mighty Wanderers), Yamikani Mologeni, Blessings Mpokera, Precious Sambani (Nyasa Bullets), Alex Kambilinya and Kelvin Banda (Mighty Tigers);
Midfielders: Chrispin Mapemba, Patrick Mwaungulu, Lanjesi Nkhoma, Lloyd Aaron, Chikumbutso Salima (Nyasa Bullets), Wisdom Mpinganjira, Blessing Singini (Mighty Wanderers), Moses Banda (Civil Service Sporting Club), Chimwemwe Idana, Uchizi Vunga, Patrick Macheso (Silver Strikers), Wongani Lungu (Mzuzu City Hammers);
Strikers: Adiel Kaduya (Silver Strikers), Zeliat Nkhoma (Kamuzu Barracks), Ephraim Kondowe (Nyasa Big Bullets), Chrstopher Kumwembe, Gadi Chirwa (Mighty Wanderers).
Other teams in Group H are Tunisia, Namibia and Liberia, whose qualifying matches started in November in June in which the Flames are on 3rd position having beaten Liberia 1-0 away in Monrovia before losing by same margin against Tunisia here at home.
Game against Tunisia
Against Liberia in Monrovia
The Flames tie on 3 points with Namibia but Namibia are on second position on goal difference while Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia tie on six points after registering two wins in Match Day 1 & 2 in November but Tunisia are at the top having a goal difference of 5 against Equatorial Guinea’s two.
Equatorial Guinea first overcame Namibia 1-0 and Liberia also 1-0 while Tunisia first beat São Tomé e Principe 4-0 before beating the Flames 1-0 with Namibia seeing off Sao Tome e Principe 2-0.
After June, the next qualifying matches will be in 2025 (March, September, October and November).
Taking advantage of the FIFA open window for international matches, Malawi, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe organized 4-Nations tournament as a valuable opportunity for the four teams to prepare for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2025 AFCON qualifying campaigns.
All four senior national teams, won by Kenya after beating Zimbabwe 3-1 in the final match, assembled their strong squads. Malawi finished 4th having lost to Kenya 0-4 and Zambia 1-2 while the Chipolopolo first lost to Zimbabwe.
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup tournament is through a complex qualification as the final — to be hosted jointly by the United States of America, Mexico and Canada — will have 48 participating countries instead of the conventional 32 giving an advantage for Africa to field more teams.
The top team from each group after Match Day 10 shall earn an automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals and additionally, the four best second-placed teams from all nine groups will engage in a continental playoff, determining a single victor who will then proceed to a second and final playoff.
This final stage will comprise six teams from various confederations, with the top two emerging as qualified participants, ultimately making up the 48 competing teams.
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