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| Sports |
| Flames leave for Botswana |
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by
Garry Chirwa, 20 May 2003
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11:46:29
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National soccer team coach Alan Gillett on Monday named his 18 troops for this Sunday’s Cosafa Castle Cup quarterfinal clash against the Zebras of Botswana which includes only one foreign-based player.
The 25-man Flames squad fly out to Johannesburg Tuesday morning to proceed to Lesotho’s capital Maseru for a buildup match against their national side popularly known as Likuena (Crocodiles) on Wednesday.
Gangling forward Russell Mwafulirwa who plies his trade in South Africa, was named as the only foreign-based player in the squad after Fam’s failure to secure the release of captain Peter Mponda from his Canadian club Ottawa Wizards.
Mwafulirwa is expected to join the squad in Gaborone on Saturday after his club Jomo Cosmos’ league game against Orlando Pirates.
Gillett said Monday that he had been trying to push for the release of Mponda through Fam to beef up his inexperienced squad which also includes five new faces namely defender Petrus Mwalweni, midfielders Robert ‘Baggio’ Ng’ambi, Rahim ‘Raul’ Ishmail, Emmanuel ‘Eeik’ Chipatala and Moses ‘Amokachi’ Chavula.
“We are still discussing with Peter (Mponda) to see if he can fly over to Botswana for the game. He wants to come but we have to negotiate for his release,” said Gillett, but Fam’s marketing and public relations officer Isabel Maziya ruled out Mponda later on in the afternoon.
“We have failed to get Mponda for this game because of complications regarding the flights, so he will not travel to Gaborone. The only foreign-based player who will show up is Russell,” said Maziya.
The surprise exclusion from the squad is MDC United slippery forward Mapopa Musukwa, others who have been left out are Big Bullets towering defender Noel Kawole and Blue Eagles marksman Dick Malidadi.
But Gillett stressed that the three have not been left out completely from the Flames.
“The three players and two others Jacob Ngwira and Lyton Mangani who were released from camp at Kamuzu Academy in Kasungu due to illness, will rejoin us once we return from Botswana,” said the coach.
The upbeat coach said the strength-testing match against Lesotho will give the new players more chance to gain international exposure.
“It will also help lift the spirits after the Zambia match and obviously it will help us tactically because Botswana and Lesotho play the same type of football. In addition to that it will also help us acclimatise to the weather because the conditions are also the same,” said Gillett.
He also brushed aside fears that his charges might suffer injuries in count down to the match.
“Yes there could be injury fears but that is why you have a big squad. You cannot play football without getting injuries, that does happen,” said Gillett.
Meanwhile the Zebras have maintained the squad that beat Namibia 1-0 in the first round which includes two South Africa based players, defender Pius Kolagano and striker Tshepiso Molwantwa, who turn out for first division side Dangerous Aces.
Following is the full squad travelling squad which will be led by Fam executive member Young Chimodzi. Officials: Chimodzi and Peter Chavula (Fam executive members); Gillett (coach), Eddie Ng’onamo and Gilbert Chirwa (assistant coaches), John Kaputa (team manager), Mathews Mangondo (team doctor); players: Navigator Dzinkambani, Phillip Nyasulu, Joseph Gatros, Itai Nundwe, Maupo Msowoya, Allan Kamanga, Lackson Mtambo, Petrus Mwalweni, Fischer Kondowe (captain), Peter Mgangira, Rahim Ishmail, Robert Ng’ambi, Emmanuel Chipatala, Moses Chavula, Victor Phiri, Heston Munthali, Ganizani Malunga, Russell Mwafulirwa
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