* Both games will be played at Bingu National Stadium, starting on Sunday, March 2
* As the Flames home match before the second leg on Saturday, March 8 as an away for Malawi
* CAF allowed Comoros to playing their home match in Malawi as they do not have a homologated venue
By Duncan Mlanjira
Tickets for both Flames’ back-to-back Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 qualifiers against the Comoros are now on sale, announces Football Association of Malawi (FAM).
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Both games will be played at Bingu National Stadium, starting on Sunday, March 2 as the Flames home match before the second leg on Saturday, March 8 as an away for Malawi.
Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) allowed Comoros to playing their home match in Malawi as they do not have a homologated venue, as announced by FAM last week.
The winner between Malawi and Comoros will face the winner between South Africa and Egypt in the last round of the qualifiers with the winner of that tie booking a place at the final tournament to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in August.
Meanwhile, Flames head coach Kalisto Pasuwa named his 27-man squad for the qualifiers in which he included three players from Ekhaya FC — goalkeeper Amos Sande, defender Joseph McDonald and striker Saviel Emmanuel.
Coach Pasuwa
It’s an achievement considering Ekhaya are yet to test the elite TNM Super League having been promoted the second tier Premier Division of the Southern Region Football League — alongside Blue Eagles from the Centre and Songwe Border United from the North, none of whom have contributed to the Flames.
Pasuwa, who was confirmed as Flames full time coach on a two-year deal this month, has retained most of the players he took charge of in the interim in the last ceremonial matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 against Burundi away (drawing 0-0) and Burkina Faso at home (winning 3-0).
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The full squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Richard Chimbamba (Nyasa Big Bullets), George Chikooka (Silver Strikers) alongside Ekhaya’s Amos Sande;
Defenders: Khumbo Banda (Dedza Dynamos), Cris Lwemba (Creck Sporting), McDonald Lameck, Maxwell Paipi, Nixon Mwase (Silver Strikers) Timothy Silwimba (Mighty Wanderers), Alick Lungu (Nyasa Big Bullets), Joseph McDonald (Ekhaya FC);
Midfielders: Moses Banda (Civo), Yankho Singo, Lloyd Aaron, Wongani Lungu, Chikumbutso Salima (Nyasa Big Bullets), Charles Nkhoma (Moyale), Auspicious Kazongola (MAFCO), Zebron Kalima (Silver Strikers), Gaddie Chirwa, Wallace Adam, Wisdom Mpinganjira (Mighty Wanderers);
Strikers: Allen Chihana (Karonga United), Ephraim Kondowe (Nyasa Big Bullets), Olson Kanjira (Kamuzu Barracks), Saviel Emmanuel (Ekhaya).
Conspicuously missing is Mighty Wanderers’ fierce attacking midfielder, Isaac Kaliati, who was named the inaugural FAM Awards men’s Player of the Year for his huge role for the Nomads to end runners-up of the TNM Super League 2024.
Kaliati, who was a phenomenon in the 2024 season as he scored 27 goals in 17 matches of the TNM Super League of which 9 were assists, to win the Golden Boot, beat two beat other nominees for the award; Nyasa Big Bullets Nigerian striker, Babatunde Adepoju and Silver Strikers’ goalkeeper, George Chikooka.
He won the TNM Super League Man of the Match awards 7 times and in the Castel Challenge Cup 2024, which the Nomads won, he scored four from six games and netted one goal from three of the Airtel Top 8 2024 — earning one Man of the Match along the way.
Also not considered is Wanderers’ striker Clement Nyondo, who was named Castel Challenge Cup 2024 Player of the Tournament award alongside teammate Kaliati following his haul of 13 goals in 6 games that earned him the Golden Boot award.
Meanwhile, Pasuwa has maintained the bulk of the backroom staff he worked with during his tenure as interim coach during the last two AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Burundi in November last year.
The only two new faces are team doctor, Felix Mwalule and analyst Michael Ngole while maintaining, Peter Mponda as first assistant coach, who was named Coach of the Year at the FAM Awards gala for for steering Silver Strikers to their first TNM Super League title in 11 years.
Pasuwa and his deputy Peter Mponda
Mponda is now back to Nyasa Big Bullets as the head coach, replacing Pasuwa after not renewing his contract, opting to take up the job of Flames coach.
Also maintained are Prichard Mwanza as second assistant coach; James Chilapondwa (team manager), Simplex Nthala (goalkeeper trainer), Peter Mgangira (fitness trainer), Dexter Killi (physiotherapist), Richard Justin (equipment manager) and Taonga Chimodzi joining Michael Ngole as data analysts.
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