Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says it is geared up to deliver a successful Four Nations Tourney which kicks off tomorrow in Lilongwe.
Malawi is hosting the tournament which has attracted the Flames, Kenya’s Harambee Stars, Zimbabwe Warriors and Zambia’s Chipolopolo at Bingu National Stadium.
There will also be a parallel Under-20 tournament involving Malawi Zimbabwe and Kenya at Silver Stadium.
Briefing the media on the preparations for the tournament, FAM first vice-president Madalitso Kuyera, who is local Organising committee chairperson (LOC), said all is set for the tournament.
He said: “As a country, we are ready to host the two tournaments with the Under-20 starting tomorrow at Silver Stadium and Seniors at the Bingu National Stadium from Saturday. We have set out facilities for teams as per the standards of the matches and the players we are hosting.
“This is a great opportunity for Malawi to showcase our expertise in match organisation, rich culture, tourism, and history to the world. FAM has been hosting a lot of national and international games which have been successful and it is not going to be any different this time as we all look ahead to a successful tournament this time again.
“As LOC we have been planning and working hard over the past few days and I can assure the people of Malawi that a lot is going on behind the scenes to stage a world class tournament.”
The tournaments kicks off tomorrow with Malawi under-20 national football team taking on Zimbabwe at Silver Stadium.
Kenya will then take on Zimbabwe on Friday before Malawi conclude the tournament against Kenya on Sunday.
The seniors tournament will kick off on Saturday as Malawi and Kenya clash in the first semi-final before paving the way for Zambia and Zimbabwe in the second semi-final in the evening at Bingu National Stadium
The winners will clash in the final while the losers face off in the third place battle on March 26.
Kuyera said with matches set to be played in the evening, the local organising committee will ensure that there is tight security at the venue.
He said: “You will note that some of the matches will be played in the evening as such we have tightened security to ensure that people’s lives and property are secured. We assure fans that their safety is our number one priority and they should come in large numbers to support their team.”
Meanwhile, teams started arriving on Sunday for the tournament.
“The tournament is happening and teams have started arriving. Zimbabwe under-20, first group of Zimbabwe seniors, arrived yesterday and another group will arrive today. Zambia will arrive today. For Kenya, both teams will arrive on Thursday,” said Kuyera.
“The tickets for the matches involving the seniors are on the market while for the Under-20, they will be sold on match days. We urge Malawians to buy the tickets in good time to enjoy this football fiesta,” said Kuyera.
Meanwhile, FAM is negotiating with international broadcasters to beam the tournament on pay TV channel.
First Capital Bank has sponsored the tournament to the tune of K50 million.
Kuyera also thanked Malawi government through the Ministry of Youth and Sport for allowing FAM to host the competition.
“We would also like to thank other government agencies like Immigrations, Lilongwe City Council, Ministry of Health, and Malawi Police Service. We look forward to a successful tournament,” he said.
The tournament follows a meeting between presidents of the four countries’ football associations on the side-lines of the Ivory Coast 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan in January, where they agreed to come together and play friendly matches during this FIFA window in one country.
The four teams are preparing for the for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June.
