By Blessings Bomati

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has confirmed that the Malawi National Football Team, the Flames, will participate in the Four Nations Tournament scheduled for 23 to 31 March 2026 at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Botswana.

FAM Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka has confirmed the development, saying the tournament will help the Flames prepare and build their squad ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin in September this year.

“We are excited about participating in this competition. Malawi will face three nations, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, that competed at the Africa Cup of Nations finals held in Morocco. Playing against such teams that have competed at that level provides a valuable opportunity to test ourselves against high-ranked opposition and learn from their experience,” said Zakazaka.

Zakazaka further said that in 2024, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia agreed to host regional tournaments involving the three nations, with a fourth team invited as a guest nation.

Malawi hosted the first edition in Lilongwe in March 2024, featuring Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, with Kenya invited as the guest side.

He also disclosed that the three countries have agreed to organize another men’s tournament during the upcoming FIFA window from 23 to 31 March.

The format will remain the same: A draw will determine two semifinal matches, with the winners advancing to the final and the losers competing in a third-place playoff.

This structure, according to Zakazaka, ensures that each of the four teams plays two matches during the FIFA window, meeting the requirements for FIFA ranking.