Malawi National Football Team coach Patrick Mabedi has called up South African-based forward Frank Gabadinho Mhango for the four-nation tournament, which will feature Zambia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
This comes after the Moroka Swallows striker was shoved out of the team for allegedly intentionally missing his flight to camp last November.
Mabedi demanded an apology from Mhango before the World Cup qualifying match against Liberia, but he did not apologize and instead accused both the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and the coach of attempting to tarnish his reputation.
“We tried to facilitate Gaba’s trip, but it was the coach who said no; his issue was disciplinary in nature and it would affect the spirit in camp,” the then FAM president, Walter Nyamilandu, told BolaNews in November.
Following the misunderstanding, various bloggers accused Mabedi of ostracising the 31-year-old from the national team because he was dating his daughter, Anita, after a TikTok video of the player kissing her cheek went viral.
Mhango and Mabedi appear to have resolved their differences, with Swallows confirming that the striker will join the Flames camp.
“We would love to congratulate Gabadinho Mhango for earning his 69th cap for the Malawi national team. We congratulate him for his national team call-up,” the club posted on their Facebook page.
Mabedi is expected to address the media this weekend about the final squad for the four-nation tournament, which will take place from the 18th to the 26th of this month.
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