Online Reporter
Robson Sharuko
Metros Editor
SOME key stakeholders in Malawian football are backing the Warriors to do well at the AFCON finals in Morocco next month on one condition – we all throw our weight behind Super Mario.
The Warriors are hoping to clear the group stages for the first time and will have to negotiate their way from a group which features Egypt, South Africa and Angola. A report from the respected Opta Analyst released yesterday said the Warriors and Botswana were the countries which had the least chances of lifting the AFCON trophy in Morocco.
Botswana have the least chances, at 0,12 percent, while Zimbabwe have the second least chances at 0,26 percent. Egypt, the record AFCON winners, have the second best chances of winning the trophy.
Opta Analyst says Mohamed Salah and his teammates have 12,75 percent chances of winning the tournament.
Only Morocco, with 19,6 percent chances, are ranked higher than Egypt.
Algeria have the third best chances, Senegal are in fourth place and Nigeria are in fifth place.
South Africa have 2,11 percent chances of lifting their second AFCON trophy while Angola have 1,21 percent chances.
This means that Opta Analyst expects the Warriors to finish bottom of their group.
But, some key football stakeholders believe Super Mario could surprise many if only the country could trust the Romanian coach and back him.
“Just support him and you will be surprised. He was our coach and he took us beyond the group stages of the AFCON, we beat Zimbabwe along the way,” said one of the stakeholders.
“The point here is that you guys have better players than us and if he could do that with us it means that he can even do better with you.
“What you simply need to do is to support him, make him feel that you are together in all this and I can assure you that you will be surprised by just how effective he is as a coach.
“He reads the game very well and I am so sure that if you guys give him all the support he needs, he can take you places.”
Another stakeholder added:
“You have a coach who went past the group stages at the last AFCON where he was in charge of a team and that’s an advantage to you guys.
“We saw it here in Malawi that he came up with a team which even surprised us with its performance at the AFCON finals and Zim can also do well under him.
“Here we don’t have players who play in the EPL like you guys and I’m so sure that Mario can make a big difference for your team if you guys support him.”
