Mponda to miss Malawi qualifiers

Mponda (right) tussles with Algeria’s Rafik Saifi at the 2010 Nations Cup.

Malawi captain Peter Mponda will be sidelined for at least eight months after damaging knee ligaments.

The extent of his injury deals a major blow to the Flames’ hopes of reaching the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Scans have revealed that the Santos defender tore an anterior cruciate ligament and damaged his posterior cruciate ligament as well.

Mponda, 28, will miss the rest of Malawi’s Group K ties, starting with the home game against Togo on 26 March.

The Flames currently lie third in the group, trailing second-placed Tunisia with a game in hand – and four matches left to play.

Malawi’s final and potentially-decisive qualifier is away to Chad in October.

Unlike the rest of the qualifying groups, two teams go through from Group K since it is the only one with five separate nations.

Mponda damaged his knee early in a South African league game against Maritzburg United on 25 February.