Flames captain John Banda says it is important for the team to start the AFCON Qualifying campaign on a high note as they face South Sudan today at Kamuzu Stadium.
Speaking at a media conference on Tuesday, Banda who joined the squad from his base Mozambique, said international football has no minnows and they will approach the game like any other.
“We are ready for the game and every player is eager to fight for the country. Sudan are lowly ranked than us but they are not a small team. We played them once at the CECAFA Cup in Ethiopia in 2015 and they beat us 2-0. I played in that game and we were underrating them but they surprised us.
“We learnt a big lesson and we can’t make that mistake again while playing at home,” he said.
He then urged Malawians to show up at Kamuzu Stadium in large numbers to support the team.
Speaking at the press briefing, Flames coach Meck Mwase said he has confidence in the team and assured Malawians that his players will not be complacent.
Malawi are in Group B with Uganda, South Sudan and Burkina Faso. After today’s match, the Flames will play against Uganda on Sunday.
The Flames have been in camp for about three weeks preparing for two games.
