Malawi Flames back home after CAN 2010

The Malawi national football team, the Flames have arrived back home after their exit from on the on-going Nations Cup tournament in Angola.

They arrived back home through the Chileka International Airport in the commercial city, Blantyre.

The smartly dressed Flames were welcomed by hundreds of people who gave them a warm reception following their reasonable performance at the competition.

When the South African Airways flight landed at Chileka at around 12:00 noon, hundreds of people were heard blowing their trumpets (vuvulezas), cheering and clapping their hands for their beloved team.

Senior football and government officials came to welcome the team.

Flames coach Kinnah Phiri told waiting journalists that he was pleased that his team had achieve a feet-that had been very difficult to accomplish in the past.

“We went to the Nations Cup after 25- years and not only as participants but also managed to get ourselves noticed by thrashing the World Cup bound, Algeria 3-0,” he said.

The coach said that he learnt a lot from the competition.

“Football is a continuous learning process and we have learnt new tricks that can be used for better improvement of the game in the country,” said Phiri.

The Flames landed on the same plane with Sports and Youth Development Minister Dr Lucious Kanyumba who flew to Angola to give the team, moral support.

The team was also accompanied to Angola with Football Association of Malawi President Walter Nyamirandu Manda, Chief Executive Officer Charles Nyirenda and leader of delegation Pikao Ngalamila.

Malawi Flames were in Group A of the tournament with Mali, Algeria and the hosts Angola.

The Flames won their opening match against Algeria before going on to lose to the hosts Angola 2-0 and Mali 3-1.

Angola and Algeria have proceeded to the last eight of the competition with the hosts facing Ghana and Algeria meeting Ivory Coast in the quarter finals-Malawi Digest.