Six Flames players test CoVID-19 ahead of opening match on Monday

By Duncan Mlanjira

Defenders Peter Cholopi, Lawrence Chaziya, Stanley Sanudi; midfielders Chikoti Chirwa and Robin Ngalande and striker Gabadinho Mhango, are reported to have tested positive of CoVID-19 ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match against Guinea on Monday.

A media release from Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says as per the CAF 2021 AFCON pre-match protocols, the Flames players and officials underwent a CoVID-19 PCR test on Saturday afternoon, 48 hours before the team’s opening match.

The results found the six players and three technical staff testing positive — head of technical panel, Mario Marinica; goalkeeper trainer Swadick Sanudi and physiotherapist Chikondi Mandalasi.

The media release says the nine are in isolation under the supervision of the team’s CoVID-19 medical team led by Dr. Precious Kadzamira.

Head of delegation Tiya Somba Banda is quoted by Fam.mw as saying this is difficult situation as the players will miss Monday’s important opener and the team’s medic “is managing the situation to ensure that the players and the officials recover as soon as possible”.

“The Flames will have another test on Wednesday (January 12) and we hope by then the nine would have recovered and cleared for the next match against Zimbabwe [on Friday, January 14].

“However, the good news is that Richard Mbulu will join us on Sunday and will be available for selection and the technical panel has already put a plan accordingly for the Guinea match.”

Striker Mbulu was cleared to join the Flames camp in Bafoussam, Cameroon after testing negative to CoVID-19 during their camp training in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

However, midfielder Charles Petro and defender Mark Fodya are still in Jeddah having tested positive.

The three were left behind in Saudi Arabia, where the team went for a 10-day pre-AFCON training camp.

Meanwhile, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu has challenged the Flames to make history by aiming for their first-ever qualification into the knockout stages of the AFCON.

A report on Fam.mw says Nyamilandu visited the players at La Valle de Bana hotel in Cameroun to encourage them to make a huge impression in their third AFCON appearance.

In the two appearances in Côte d’Ivoire in 1984 and Angola in 2010, the Flames bowed out in the group stages, chalking only one win — in Angola 2010, where they stirred some excitement in their opening game when they beat north African giants Tunisia 3-1.

But they lost their consequent matches — 0-2 against the hosts Angola and 1-3 against Mali. Having had 3 points, Malawi needed a draw to reach their first-ever quarter-final qualification but after just three minutes into the game, they were down 0-2.

While in 1984, they made a huge impression when the led 2-0 against Super Eagles of Nigeria but the game ended 2-2. They lost 0-1 against Ghana and 0-3 against Algeria.

Thus Nyamilandu is quoted by Fam.mw during the meeting as saying that this year’s tournament presents the new generation of the Flames an opportunity to leave a mark in Malawi’s football history.

“We must make a record which we have never done in the past,” he is quoted as saying. “Last time in 2010 in Angola, we beat the strongest team of the tournament, Algeria.

“But we lost the other two matches and bowed out. When we beat Algeria there were huge celebrations in Malawi and up to now Malawians still remember that match.

“In 1984, during our maiden appearance, we drew 2-2 against one of the tournament’s favourates Nigeria and one of our stars Clifton Msiya scored the goal of the tournament in that match. People still remember that.

“What will Malawians remember you for? When we leave this tournament, will Malawians remember you for good things or bad things? Malawi should not remember you for losing 10-0 or scoring own goals or for indiscipline.

“We must leave a mark here by qualifying for the knockout stages. You must become the first generation in our history to go past the group stages.

“This a unique team. You qualified nice and clean with good results and you can do more than what others did before. Nothing is impossible.

“We need positive minds and approach in everything that we will be doing here for us to get results. We need to change our way of doing things and adopt the new approach. We need to have a big heart to go an extra mile and we will go far in this tournament,” Nyamilandu is quoted as saying.

He further said the whole squad needs to be united, saying they can only win if the has some positive team spirit that should be strengthened with love for one another.

“We are all one and should work as a unit. Togetherness took us this far and we must remain united. They will be surprises here. Things will not be smooth here but we must stand together and focus on the war at hand,” he said.

The Flames’ opener against Guinea will kick off at 18:00hrs CAT and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Variety 4, SuperSport Maximo 2 and SuperSport GOtv Select 1.

Their second match is against Zimbabwe on Friday, January 14 and wrap up their group stages with a match against west African side Senegal on January 18.

The opening match of the tournament between the hosts Cameroun taking on Burkina Faso in Group A clash is on Sunday evening — live on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2 from 18:00hrs.

The Indomitable Lions, who are five-time AFCON champions, are also paired with Ethiopia and Cape Verde and are expected to kick start their 6th title campaign off to a flying start against Burkina Faso.

The following are group stage Round 1 broadcast details (January 9-12):

Sunday January 9

* 18:00: Cameroon v Burkina Faso – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

* 21:00: Ethiopia v Cape Verde – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

 Monday January 10

* 15:00: Senegal v Zimbabwe – LIVE on SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

* 18:00: Guinea v Malawi – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 4, SuperSport Maximo 2 and SuperSport GOtv Select 1

* 18:00: Morocco v Ghana – LIVE on SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

* 21:00: Comoros v Gabon – LIVE on SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

 Tuesday January 11

* 15:00: Algeria v Sierra Leone – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

* 18:00: Nigeria v Egypt – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

* 21:00: Sudan v Guinea-Bissau – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 2, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

Wednesday January 12

* 15:00: Tunisia v Mali – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

* 18:00: Mauritania v Gambia – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2

* 21:00: Equatorial Guinea v Côte d’Ivore– LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 360 and SuperSport GOtv Select 2