Malawi football is up in flames

Money problems have hit the Malawi government so hard so that they national team had to threaten to withdraw from the joint World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations 2010 qualifying games before the Sport Council lent them money.

The Flames are travelling to Guinea where they will be playing their third game in the qualifying round after losing 5-0 to Ivory Coast and 1-0 at home to Burkina Faso.

The head coach Kinnah Phiri said it was disturbing for everyone in the team because they are working very hard for the country.

"Last week we almost withdrew from the competition after government put its foot down on funding. When we win everyone is happy but when we just lose a bit they tend to turn their backs on us. This is not good," the former Free State Stars coach lamented when interviewed by Football365.co.za.

However, things changed for the better when the National Sports Council loaned the Football Association K15 million (R1million) for the remaining four games that the team is still to play.

The Sports Council's intervention allowed FAM to get air tickets on credit, while the remaining amount will be used for accommodation and external allowances for the squad.

Due to these problems the squad has been chopped from 28 members to 25 and the Flames will spend six days in camp instead of the proposed ten days that FAM had initially planned. The squad has 10 South Africa based players.

The full squad:

Goalkeepers - Swadick Sanudi and Simplex Nthara

Defenders - Peter Mponda, Elvis Kafoteka, Moses Chavula, Wisdom Ndhlovu, Allan Kamanga, James Sangala.

Midfielders - Fischer Kondowe, Robert Ng'ambi, Joseph Kamwendo, Davie Banda, Hellings Mwakasungura and Tawonga Chimodzi

Strikers - Esau Kanyenda, Chiukepo Msowoya, Atusaye Nyondo and Jimmy Zakazaka.