The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has stated that the Zambia under-20 football team will withdraw from the four-nation tournament scheduled for Thursday, March 21 in Malawi.
However, the association has not explained why the junior Chipolopolo has cancelled their trip to Malawi with only three days to go.
The young Chipolopolo were scheduled to play Zimbabwe on Thursday before facing either Kenya or Malawi, depending on the outcome of their encounter.
This leaves the Under-20 competition with three teams: Kenya, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, which has influenced the fixture.
FAM’s competitions manager, Gomezgani Zakazaka, has revealed that the competition format has changed from knockout to round-robin and that it will begin on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, rather than Thursday, March 21, as previously planned.
“The Under-20 matches have also been moved from Bingu National Stadium to Silver Stadium. The schedule for the senior national teams remains the same as earlier announced, with all four teams available for the competition,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Under-20 national team arrived in Lilongwe on Sunday, while Kenya is expected to arrive tomorrow, Tuesday.
The competition will also pit senior teams from these four countries against each other. Zambia’s senior team will face Zimbabwe, while Malawi will host Kenya in Bingu.
Zimbabwe seniors will arrive in two groups, with the first one expected to jet in this afternoon, while the last group will arrive on Tuesday.
Zambia will arrive on Tuesday, with Kenya’s Harambe Stars arriving on Thursday.
The four-nation tournament will be used to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
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