Malawi Under-20 national football team head coach Bob Mpinganjira, says the team is ready to battle for the first three points in their Group C opening encounter against South Africa this afternoon at the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA qualifier in Maputo, Mozambique.

“Preparations have gone very well, and all players are showing interest in playing. Here in Maputo, we have trained once outside the hotel and yesterday we had our first training session at Mahafil Complex. We don’t have injury concerns in our camp, except one player who got sick while traveling, but he is now okay.”

“The players are looking sharp and ready for the game. We haven’t watched our opponents physically, but we’ve seen some clips, so we just need to plan well for them,” explained Mpinganjira.

Captain of the side, Washali Jaziya, expressed the importance of winning the first game, saying it helps any team progress to the next stage of the competition.

“We have prepared well for the game. Teams are crowned champions because of winning the first game. The four-nation tournament served as motivation ahead of this tournament. Morale is high in camp, and my fellow players are showing great intent to win. All fans at home must expect nothing but a win against South Africa,” said Jaziya.

The Malawi Under-20 Football National Team is in Group C alongside South Africa, Lesotho, and Comoros Island.