Meck Mwase
* The Flames will host Mozambique at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on September 7
* For their first home match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers
Maravi Express
The Flames’ head coach Meck Mwase left on Friday for Cameroun to attend the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw to be held at Yaounde Conference Center.
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The coach told Fam.mw Flames qualified for the 2021 AFCON finals after beating Uganda 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium in March this year and will on Sunday know their opponents at the biannual continental championship to be held in Cameroun in January 2022.
Mwase said knowing his opponents will help his technical panel to start earnest preparations for the AFCON as it will guide them on which type of players to should select and teams to engage for friendly matches as well as camping destinations.
“In football there are never easy draws and we will welcome whatever teams will be paired against,” he told Fam.mw.
The Flames
Meanwhile, the Flames will host Mozambique at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on September 7, in their first home match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers.
FAM General Secretary Alfred Gunda told Fam.mw. that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) did not accept their appeal to reconsider its decision to ban Bingu National Stadium.
Gunda said FAM has no choice but prepare to play in South Africa as well as continue rehabilitating Bingu Stadium for the next qualifiers in which the Flames are drawn with Mozambique, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroun.
FAM General Secretary Gunda
“This is not what we expected but we have no choice,” Gunda is quoted as saying. “We should just bite the bullet and be serious with fixing the pitch.
“There will be another inspection in September and we have a chance of hosting the remaining matches of the World Cup at Bingu Stadium once the pitch is well attended to. This is our last chance to redeem ourselves. It is giving us hope that BNS will be back soon.
“On the Mozambique game, as directed by CAF, we have opted for Orlando Stadium and we have since confirmed our booking with the venue owners,” he said.
According to CAF, the appeal was not accepted mainly because the period is too short for them to delay the confirmation of the match.
Bingu National Stadium
“Considering that the matchday is in less than 30 days, CAF is not in a position to delay any further the confirmation of the match venue for the visiting team nor grant an approval based on the current state of the stadium.
“The selection of the venue, respective date and time of the match, has to be set well in advance. As you know, this has a direct impact on the preparation of match logistics and operations by all the concerned parties.
“Considering the above and due to the urgency of the matter, the stadium ban appeal of FAM is not accepted and the decision in the CAF letter dated 5 August 2021 is upheld, hence your federation will have to select an approved stadium in a country of another CAF Member Association,” reads part of the CAF letter dated September 8 and signed by secretary general Véron Mosengo-Omba.
FAM chose South Africa as alternative home ground because the country provides the best and convenient options in terms of match organization and team logistics.
The Flames are set to begin their World Cup group D campaign against Cameroun on September 4 away in Yaoundé.
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