Malawi interim head coach Patrick Mabedi has included six FCB Nyasa Big Bullets players in his 30-man provisional squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ethiopia next month.
Mabedi has maintained goalkeeper Clever Mkungula and defenders Alick Lungu and Blessings Mpokera, who were some of the players that formed part of Marian Mario Marinica’s squad.
Midfielders Frank Willard and Chawanangwa Gumbo have also been included in the squad alongside Lanjesi Nkhoma.
Five of the players were part of the AFCON qualifiers against Egypt, Guinea and Ethiopia except for Nkhoma, who has been included after catching the eye of Mabedi following his recent appointment as the Flames interim coach after the departure of Marinica.
His selection has not come as a surprise given his excellent start to the season for The People’s Team in the TNM Super League after helping the team regain top position in the standings with his goal-scoring form. He is the current leading scorer with six goals.
Mpokera and Lungu have also had a remarkable start to the season, playing in every game following the injuries of Kalisto Pasuwa’s starting XI regulars last season, Gomezgani Chirwa and Precious Sambani. Lungu has already scored two goals and provided two assists.
The Flames will start camping on Monday, 22 May 2023, at Mpira Village in Chiwembe.
Malawi is expected to play Ethiopia in Mozambique on 20 June, before welcoming Guinea at Bingu National Stadium in September.
Anchoring Group D with three points from four games, The Flames will be looking to finish the campaign on a very high note after they saw their qualification chances falter following two back-to-back defeats to Egypt in March.
Malawi lost 2-0 to The Pharaohs in the first leg in Cairo before going down 4-0 at Bingu National Station in the return leg.
Those two results placed Egypt and Guinea as favourites to make it to Ivory Coast.
