JOHANNESBURG: Zambia secured a narrow 1-0 win over neighbours Malawi in Lusaka on Wednesday in the first international involving African countries since the Covid-19 pandemic shut down world sport in March.

Collins Sikombe scored the only goal after 14 minutes behind closed doors at the National Heroes Stadium by gathering a long pass and rounding goalkeeper Brighton Munthali.

Zambia, deprived of their overseas-based players by quarantine restrictions, are the only African country playing three matches during the FIFA window and face Kenya in Nairobi on Friday and South Africa in Rustenburg on Sunday.

Victory over southern Africa neighbours Malawi marked a winning debut as Zambia coach for vastly experienced Serb Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic.

The 51-year-old has also coached the national teams of Rwanda and Uganda and clubs in Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania, Sudan and Egypt.

South Sudan also used the return of international football on the African continent to travel to Cameroon where they lost 2-0 to club champions PWD Bamenda on Wednesday in an encounter designed to provide match practice ahead of the resumption of African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The qualifiers resume in November after a years hiatus with the finals in Cameroon already put back a year to January 2021 because of the Covid-19 crisis.

There has been virtually no football across African borders since the pandemic was declared with travel restrictions curtailing plans to resume international football in September, when European countries national teams were able to play again.

The Confederation of African Football decided to delay the resumption of Nations Cup qualification because of the difficulties of travel, which has allowed many teams instead to use this months window to rid themselves of rustiness with friendlies.

Many African sides have headed to Europe for matches and training camps over the next week.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2020