By Andrew Mdzumira

Flames head coach Kalisto Pasuwa believes arriving early in Egypt will give Malawi enough time to adjust to the local weather and prepare for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against the hosts.

Malawi travelled to Cairo on Monday ahead of Friday’s first-leg meeting with Egypt. Pasuwa said the early arrival would allow the technical panel to work with the players over several days.

Speaking after the team arrived, Pasuwa said the long journey made it difficult to organise a morning training session, so the technical panel opted to give the players more time to rest.

“We couldn’t do stretches in the morning because we wanted the players to rest more. Considering how we travelled, we couldn’t take them to the training ground,” he said.

Pasuwa said 15 of the 24 players called up had reported to camp by the time the team arrived, with most of them locally based. Foreign-based players Gomezgani Chirwa and Lloyd Njaliwa have also joined the squad, while McDonald Lameck is expected to arrive later.

Other players, including Germany-based Mwisho Mhango and Adiel Kaduya, who plays in the United States, are also expected to join the team.

“They won’t be part of today’s training session because they are yet to arrive,” Pasuwa said.

Despite some players still being expected in camp, Pasuwa believes the early arrival will give the team enough time to adapt and prepare.

“It’s to our advantage. The players can adjust to the weather, and having them here for three or four days can be good in terms of how we need to prepare ourselves,” he said.

Pasuwa also stressed the importance of engaging both players who featured in the previous match and those joining the squad, saying communication and motivation would be key ahead of the assignment.

The Flames are expected to hold their first training session in Cairo this evening as preparations gather momentum.

Malawi will face Egypt in the first leg on Friday, November 13, 2026, before hosting the North African side in the return fixture on November 17 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

*Editorial note: I used Friday in place of Wednesday to match the November 13 fixture date stated in the article.*