BY MABVUTO KAMBUWE:
After a sluggish start to the Cosafa Youth Championship, Malawi under-17 national football team face Zimbabwe in a Group C must-win match at Stade Anjalay in Mauritius today.
The junior Flames started the tournament with a 1-0 loss to Angola but today’s match provides them with a perfect opportunity to redeem their pride.
But Zimbabwe has been Malawi’s bogy team at all levels, so the junior Flames must exercise caution.
Malawi must win the match to keep alive their dream of reaching the semifinals before facing Eswatini [formerly Swaziland] in their last group match on Wednesday.
A loss for the junior Flames would mean that they will exit the tournament at the group stage, having won bronze in 2016 and 2017.
Malawi are stuck at the bottom of Group C without a point following the loss to Angola in the opening match.
Swaziland defeated Zimbabwe 3-2 and lead the group with three points, at par with second-placed Angola.
Head Coach DeKlerk Msakakuona is refusing to pile pressure on his charges ahead of the match.
“We have talented players but most of them are playing in their first international tournament, so we should not put them under pressure. We have rectified the mistakes we made against Angola and we are prepared to face Zimbabwe,” Msakakuona said.
Msakakuona, who has been in charge of the team since 2016, will likely keep his faith in striker Lovemore Mbeta and goalkeeper Kennedy Nankhaima, who reportedly had a grand game against Angola on Friday.
Young Warriors Head Coach, Tafadzwa Mashiri, is also looking for a win after a dismal start to the tournament.
Mashiri has assembled a squad comprising Tapiwa Mandinyenya and Zubair Ali.
Three group winners will qualify for the semifinals and will be joined by the overall best loser. The tournament is expected to wind up on July 29.
The winner of this year’s Under-17 Cosafa Cup will automatically qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals to be staged in Tanzania.
Leave a Reply