By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

MALAWI arrived in the country yesterday with coach Ernest Ntawali saying his side faces a mammoth task of beating Zambia to secure qualification for a place at the Senegal 2015 Africa Youth Championship (AYC).
Zambia goes into tomorrow’s AYC final round qualifier return match carrying a 2-1 lead and Malawi will need to win with two unanswered goals to tip the hosts to the continental youth championship.
But the trip saw the Malawi Football Association (FAM) engaged in a club versus country row with local club Azam Tigers after it had refused to release three of its key players for the Zambia match due to the Standard Bank final against Silver Strikers on the same day.
FAM eventually won the row and secured the release of Boston Kabango, Stanley Sanudi and striker Stanley Kalaiti, who were part of the team that arrived in morning.
Speaking in an interview at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA), Ntawali admitted Malawi has a mammoth task against Zambia but that his lads have no option but to beat their hosts.
“Zambia is a very good team yes but we have worked hard these last two weeks. We will try our level best, we have no option but to turn things around in the Saturday’s game,” he said.
Malawi are pushed by the fact that they have not won a game at home but have won their away matches to reach this far.
“The game against Zambia will be a totally different game, so we cannot bank on our away record alone, but my boys are ready we will give 100 per cent to try and win the game.
But this time, we will play our normal game because we are not under pressure to play here in Zambia. In front of our fans, my boys get to be under pressure. This time around it will be a different game,” he said.