The Flames of Malawi have started preparations ahead of this year edition of Council of Southern Africa Football Associations Cup clashes later this month.

The COSAFA Castle Cup will be staged in South Africa’s North West province from June 25-July 9, and Malawi will be camping at Mpira Village with training being held at the MDC Stadium in Blantyre.

Flames coach Ronny Van Geneugden says the first training session at 3PM on Tuesdat will be open to the public.

“Normally all our training sessions are behind closed doors but for the first session on Tuesday we will allow fans to come and watch their team,” said Van Geneugden.

In the tournament,defending champions South Africa must wait to learn their quarterfinal opponents having been drawn against the winner of Group A.

Malawi will come up against Angola, east African guest nation Tanzania and Mauritius in the regional showpiece tournament.

Tanzania are competing for the third time after 1997 and 2015, with Comoros Islands having declined to take part this year.

Swaziland will face the winners of Group B, which is a hugely competitive pool that includes Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mozambique and Seychelles.