Zambia, Malawi Renew Rivalry

VICTOR KUMWENDA, Lusaka
ZAMBIA and Malawi will today renew their rivalry when they clash in an international friendly at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Zambia and their eastern neighbours have met 69 times with the former winning 36 times while the Flames have recorded 16 victories and 17 matches have ended in draws.
Chipolopolo’s last victory over Malawi was a 3-1 win in the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Challenge Cup match on July 22, 2006.
Malawi revenged with a 1-0 win over the Chipolopolo in an international friendly in Blantyre on July 6, 2012.
Today the teams meet for the 70th time.
Both teams will be using the match to prepare for the COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup kicking off next Sunday in South Africa and the 2017 Gabon Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series starting on June 13.
Chipolopolo coach Honour Janza has summoned six foreign-based players.
These are skipper Rainford Kalaba, his vice Nathan Sinkala, Given Singuluma and Kabaso Chongo all from Democratic Republic of Congo side TP Mazembe, Mwape Musonda of South African side Orlando Pirates and Aaron Katebe of Zimbabwean side FC Platinum.
Janza might go for the Musonda-Jackson Mwanza partnership in attack or the Jimmy Ndhlovu -Winstone Kalengo combination.
Musonda will be eager to impress to prove that he deserves a permanent position in the Chipolopolo..
Kalaba, Kondwani Mtonga, Justin Zulu and Singuluma will dictate play in midfield in a 4:4:2 formation.
Kalaba and Allan Mukuka contributed a goal apiece in the 2-0 win over Rwanda in an international friendly at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on March 29. Mukuka might be introduced as the match progresses.
Sinkala , who has recuperated from a knee injury sustained at the 2015 Equatorial Guinea Africa Cup of Nations, might be given a run in the second half.
Donashano Malama, Boyd Mkandawire, Christopher Munthali and Bronson Chama will be in defence while Daniel Munyao is a sure starter in goal.
“It is a game we want to win. I have told the players to prove themselves ahead of the COSAFA Cup and Africa Cup qualifiers. It will also be an opportunity for local players to impress,” Janza said.
Since his engagement last August, Janza has guided the Chipolopolo to five wins, five draws and three losses.
Malawi coach Young Chimodzi is confident the Flames will beat Zambia.
Chimodzi, a former Malawi goal poacher, is not intimidated that Janza has drafted in foreign-based stars.
“I have only come with the local players. I wanted to see how they can play. Foreign- based players in the Zambian team will not intimidate us. If anything they will give us a good game. It’s what we wanted. Football is about results. We have to get a result. We can’t come here to play just for the sake of playing,” he said.
Chimodzi will look to experienced player- goalkeeper McDonald Harawa, Zambian-born Fischer Kondowe and Peter Wadabwa for victory.
The Chipolopolo are 60th on the FIFA world rankings while Malawi are 97th.

Posted by Editor on May 10, 2015. Filed under SPORTS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry