Beach Soccer Malawi has pleaded for financial support from the corporate world to help  its national team play an international friendly match before the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations  (BSAfcon) final next month.

The association’s chairperson Gift Chimbalanga said lack of funds is the major challenge for the team which goes into camp this weekend in preparations for the final tournament set for Vilankulo, Mozambique from October 21 to 28.

The Malawi beach soccer team taking on Tanzania in
the decisive qualifier at Sunbird Livingstonia in Salima

 He said: “Our plan was that the team should play at least two international friendlies in preparation for the BSAfcon.

“However, we do not have funds for the programme. We, therefore, would like to ask the corporate world to come forward and help us.

“The team needs adequate preparations. Remember, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

Chimbalanga said they wanted to use the Cosafa Beach Soccer Championship which will be held in Durban, South Africa from September 25 to October 1 to prepare for the finals.

However, Malawi is not participating in the competition due to the financial challenges.

 Chimbalanga said: “The Cosafa Beach Soccer tournament could have been ideal to prepare for the Mozambique final.

“Unfortunately we did not enter the competition due to the same financial problems. So, right now the only way out is to organise at least one international friendly before the tournament.”

Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu said the association has no funds for the beach soccer national team to play the friendly matches after exhausting its allocation from government.

 He said: “That’s the disadvantage we are facing.”

Meanwhile, Egypt, Senegal, Mozambique and Uganda, who also qualified for the BSAfcon final will be in South Africa for the Cosafa tournament.

Malawi is in group A alongside Mozambique, Nigeria and Morocco while the other group has Senegal, Uganda, Madagascar and Egypt.

The Mozambique final will be the tournament’s fifth edition after Seychelles 2015, Nigeria 2016, Egypt 2018 and Senegal 2021.

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