Blantyre — Hundreds of soccer followers in Malawi braved heavy rain Friday to cheer and welcome Malawi’s nationwide football crew, nicknamed The Flames, as it returned from Cameroon, irrespective of failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of International locations (AFCON) quarterfinals.

As the crew arrived Friday at Chileka World Airport, soccer followers, masses of them dressed in red, sang songs, praising the Malawi Flames with a welcome for heroes.

The glory turned into as soon as largely due to this of the crew’s excellent efficiency true thru the games that allowed it to attain the round of 16, a knockout stage, for the first time in the nation’s football history.

The Flames lost to Guinea, one-nil, of their opening match, nonetheless then bounced support with a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe and a no longer easy-fought scoreless draw in opposition to 2019 International locations Cup finalist Senegal.

Nonetheless, in the knockout stage, Malawi lost 2-1 to Morocco, reserving itself a designate support residence.

Walter Nyamilandu is the president of the Football Affiliation of Malawi. He told reporters upon arrival in Blantyre that even supposing Malawi failed to proceed extra at AFCON, Malawi’s mission in Cameroon turned into as soon as performed.

“Nobody anticipated that we may streak this a ways, and to attain a neighborhood of 16 groups is mission performed. We went there to attain a round of 16, and we carried out precisely what we wished. So, we are extremely relaxed that now we are amongst the head 16 groups in Africa, and right here is the put Malawi belongs,” Nyamilandu mentioned.

Nyamilandu mentioned mighty of the credit goes to coach Mario Marinica, a Romanian nationwide who’s the crew’s technical director.

The Football Affiliation of Malawi in November closing 365 days tasked Marinica to behave as head coach for the Flames true thru the AFCON engagements.

“The coach is right here to preserve. It is dependent [on] what function he has to play, and he’s an asset due to this of he’s handing over,” Nyamilandu mentioned. “And it is a ways a requirement the put will we deploy him? We are in a position to kick again out and assemble a sober resolution about what is gorgeous for Malawi in the immediate term and prolonged term. But as a ways as I am concerned, he has passed the total assessments, and if anything, we ought to give him an inaugurate visa, a Malawi citizenship to preserve right here due to this of he has proved that he can state.”

Marinica told VOA this week from Cameroon, on the other hand, that he want to introduce the brand new form of play he has instilled in the Flames to the total nation’s football golf equipment.

“Clearly, we would prefer this blueprint to be utilized true thru the nation, and as mighty as doable adopted by the total coaches in Malawi. I hope that in the come future, we can uncover about fixed results and heaps extra and masses better avid gamers produced true thru the nation,” Marinica mentioned.

Sunduzwayo Madise is the board chairman for the Malawi Nationwide Council of Sports. He says the efficiency of the Flames at AFCON has given the nation pleasure.

“It turned into as soon as the first time whenever you streak to a nation carrying a Malawian jersey and folk uncover about you, and they originate up clapping fingers at you,” Madise mentioned. “Yes, in phrases of FIFA ranking we would no longer be up there, nonetheless I bear we demonstrated that we have bought a spirit and I bear that we gave our easiest shot. Unfortunately, we didn’t buckle down and do, and I bear we did very effectively.”

From the airport, the Flames proceeded to the Amaryllis Resort in Blantyre, which hosted a celebratory dinner and supplied accommodations for the crew.

The governmentis pledging to provide extra funding to assemble the crew amongst the most efficient in Africa.