The Malawi National Football team suffered a 2-nil defeat at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo in the third round of the qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Salah scored the first goal for the Pharaohs In the 20th minute after receiving a cross from Mohamed Hamdy.
The other goal for Egypt came from Omar Marmoush who fired a shot from outside in the 45 + 1 minute, which hit the Malawi defense before hitting the net.
This is the second defeat for the Flames in the Afcon Qualifiers and they are expected to hosts the Pharaohs on Tuesday next week at Bingu National Stadium.
In the same group, Guinea beat Ethiopia 2-0 at Mohamed V Stade in Casablanca.
Flames are now bottom in Group D with 3 points from three games while Egypt are now on top with 6 points with the same number of games.
The World Bank Group says the international financial institution will continue playing a solitary role in supporting projects, capacity building to provide leadership and consideration on budgetary support.
Speaking on Friday when a team from the financial institution met with Minister of Trade and Industry in Lilongwe, World Bank country manager, Hugh Riddell, said the economy was already in a precarious situation even before Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit the country and hence the need for continued collaboration and support.
“Fuel shortages, forex scarcity, structure decline, trade imbalance are some of the challenges Malawi is facing and these affect production and the capacity to do trade. The bank partnered with Trade and Industry Ministry on a number of strategic projects and programmes of which sustainability depends on the economic turnaround.
“Effects of Cyclone Freddy have really been tragic and with low tobacco earnings a post-tobacco economy should be looked at seriously. Malawi is a small country with a smaller economy hence it needs to prioritise trade as a heartbeat of the economy,” he said.
In his remarks Trade and Industry minister Simplex Chithyola Banda said one of the challenges Malawi is facing is the unsustainable debt which should be structured or staggered.
“Having acknowledged existence of all these challenges we now need to strategize on how best to reboot the economic activities to enhance regional and international trade as well as agriculture productivity. The ministry is implementing interventions under reducing trade costs such as negotiation of a Simplified Trade regime between Malawi and Mozambique, expansion of the National Single Window and Training of its users,” he said.
Some of the World Bank supported flagship projects includes Agriculture Commercialisation (AGCOM $95m), Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity ($380m), Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Scaling Project (FINES $86m) and the Agri-Policy Project ($800000)
In an effort to build a strong squad ahead of the forthcoming TNM Super League season, rookies Bangwe All Stars have signed former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Civil Service United goalkeeper Enerst Kakhobwe.
The 29-year-old former shot stopper has joined the Bangwe based side on a two-year deal that will see him at the club until 2024.
Khakhobwe will be playing alongside other other new signings like former Bullets midfielder Chimango Kaira, former Wanderers defender Bongani Kaipa, Michael Tetteh formerly of Silver Strikers as well as Sunganani Geoffrey and Innocent Msowoya both from Sable Farming FC.
Lilongwe based Malawi Defense Force side Kamuzu Barracks(KB) FC has announced the signing of former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Civil Service United midfielder Nelson Kangunje and five other players.
KB made the announcement on Thursday afternoon, adding that the club has also signed former Silver Strikers midfielder Levison Maganizo.
Kangunje has joined the Chiwoko soldiers on a free transfer following the expiring of his contract with Civil.
Apart from Kangunje and Maganizo, the team has also signed former Karonga United player Thoko Harrison, Metthews Zaulombo from Dedza Dynamos Salima Sugar, Alexander Cosmas from TN Stars and Lloyd Mugara formerly of Mighty Mukuru Wanderers.
Flames Coach Marian Mario Marinica has said he is optimistic that his side will perform well as they face Egypt in the first leg of the Afcon qualifier in Cairo on Friday.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Marinica said he is satisfied with the preparations that the team has done so far and that as a team they are geared and set for the game.
” My boys are ready to face a strong squad like Egypt, they had been in that situation before. They faced big teams like Morocco, Senegal and other teams nothing new.
Flames getting ready
” I have instructed my boys to start the game on a higher note, they should defend the 50 percent of our chances and finish the game so that we should have positive result at the end of 90 minutes.” Said Marinica.
Marinica however, bemoaned lack of game time by most of the foreign based players in their clubs but was quick to point out that the technical team has worked very hard to make sure that the players are well prepared for the big game.
The Malawi Flames will play Egypt in Cairo tomorrow March 24th, 2023, and again host the same side at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe four days later.
