Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has declared tomorrow January 28 as the Flames Friday in honour of the country’s senior national football team.

FAM has made the declaration to celebrate the arrival on Friday of the team, which is affectionately called the Flames, from Cameroon where it impressed at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

“It’s a Flames Friday. Let’s welcome our heroes as they land at Chileka International Airport on Friday afternoon. Get yourself a Flames Moto Jersey at any of the outlets at K28,000 only,” FAM tweeted on Thursday.

Malawi bowed out of AFCON with heads held high after losing 2-1 to Morocco to end the Flames journey in the round of 16 stage, which they had reached for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Flames official sponsors, FDH Bank Plc, has promised to buy the team a new bus, according to FDH Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer, William Mpinganjira.

 “Sometime back in our discussion with FAM leadership we noted that the Flames bus is aging. As a token of appreciation for your performance here in Cameroon, we will buy you a brand-new coach. The purchase of the bus is over and above our annual contribution to the Flames. This is just the beginning of more good things to come,” FAM media quoted Mpinganjira as saying.

FDH started sponsoring the Flames in 2016 to the tune of K30 million a year before doubling it in 2018. Last year, the bank further doubled the sponsorship to MK120 million. $1+MK800.