By Santos Zefania
Lilongwe, June 4, Mana: The Malawi national football team, the Flames, departed today for the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Hollywoodbets tournament, set to take place in Mangaung and Bloemfontein, South Africa, from June 4 to 15.
The Flames have been drawn in Group B alongside Lesotho, Namibia, and Angola. Malawi will kick off their 2025 Hollywoodbets Cup campaign against Lesotho on June 5, face Namibia on June 8, and conclude the group stage with a match against Angola on June 10.
Speaking after preparations on Tuesday, Flames Assistant Coach, Peter Mponda expressed his team’s preparedness ahead of the tournament describing it as a turnaround for the Flames ever since they first participated in 1997 explaining how this COSAFA Hollywoodbet cup would be different.
“Preparations have been going well, and the response during training sessions has been very positive. However, we faced a setback with Zebron Kalima's injury, which is unfortunate. In the past, we’ve attended tournaments without delivering strong results, but this time the atmosphere feels different. We've assembled a solid squad, even dropping some regular players to test new talent that we believe can deliver a five-star performance. Our goal is not just to compete, but to win,” Mponda explained.
In his remarks, football analysist Kimu Kamau hailed the Flames and wished them well ahead of the COSAFA cup in South Africa.
“I would love to see the Flames take this tournament seriously. Of course, this isn’t their first time participating, but they should aim to achieve something from it. The group they’re in is tough, especially since football has changed significantly, teams we used to beat easily have now improved. However, reaching the final or even winning the championship would bring them honour and restore pride among local football fans,” Kamau said.
Malawi has been runners-up in two COSAFA Cup tournaments, with their first final appearance in 2002, where they defeated Angola and Zambia on their way to the final.
