The Malawi national football team, the Flames, has dropped two of its senior players, Stanley Sanudi and Chimwemwe Idana, from the squad ahead of crucial 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burundi and Burkina Faso.
Some media reports alleges that the duo’s omission stems from a disciplinary incident in Dakar, Senegal, following Malawi’s 4-0 loss to the Lions of Teranga.
It has been revealed that Sanudi and Idana skipped part of the post-match dressing room debrief to meet Sadio Mane and his teammates, exchanging jerseys and taking photos.
Their actions irritated former Flames coaches and teammates, as they arrived midway through the post-mortem analysis, sparking concerns about their commitment to the team.
Former coach Patrick Mabedi initially dropped the pair for the return leg against Senegal, which Malawi lost 0-1 at Bingu National Stadium on the capital, Lilongwe. Newly appointed interim coaches Kallisto Pasuwa and Peter Mponda have now also excluded them from the upcoming squad.
It remains unclear whether Sanudi and Idana will face a formal disciplinary hearing or be left out of future selections without explanation.
The decision sends a strong message about the importance of discipline and team commitment within the Malawi national team setup.
In 2001, several Flames players were implicated in a match-fixing scandal during a Cecafa Cup tournament in Rwanda which led to a thorough investigation, and subsequently, several players were banned from football-related activities for various periods.
