Less than two weeks before the first phase of the CAN 2013 qualifiers against Ghana, Kinnah Phiri, the coach of the Malawi national team, made a trip to Zambia to seek insights on beating the Black Stars. In a surprising move, Phiri also visited Lusaka to discuss with Hervé Renard, the French coach, who led Zambia. Renard’s team had previously defeated Ghana twice in the same year, first in the semi-final of the 2012 CAN and later in the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in June.
Despite the competitive history, there seems to be no rivalry between the two coaches, and Renard was willing to share advice to help Malawi beat Ghana. Renard remains the last coach to have defeated the Black Stars twice in the same year. Phiri expressed satisfaction with his trip to Zambia, emphasizing that the preparation for the upcoming qualifiers against Ghana is progressing well. Several players, including Dave Banda, Moses Chavula, Simplex Nthala, Jimmy Zakazaka, Harry Nyirenda, Atusaye Nyonda, Robin Ngalande, Victor Nyirenda, and Limbikani Mzava, are expected to join the team for further preparation.
Malawi is set to face Ghana in the CAN 2013 qualifiers on September 8. Prior to that, they have arranged a friendly match against Liberia on September 4 as part of their preparation.
