Malawi coach DeKlerk Msakakuona declared himself

pleased with his side’s performance as they claimed the bronze medal at the 2016 COSAFA Under-17 Championships with a 2-0 victory over East African guest nation Kenya on Sunday.

Malawi triumphed in the third-place play-off thanks to goals from Peter Banda, his fifth of the competition, and Francisco Madinga.

“It was a tough game,” he said. “It was not the same team we scored five against in the group stages. We scored one and then defended and if chances showed up, we could score more and that is what happened. So the goal is achieved against a good Kenyan team.”

Msakakuona also praised the quality of the football seen at the competition.

“The level is high and it’s a good tournament. With these types of tournaments, this benefits Africa and its players a lot, especially the youth.”

Kenya’s German coach Andreas Spier also thought his side had improved a lot during the competition.

“I think we have improved a lot, starting from the first match to the last match,” he said. “For the match, we had chances, we came close to scoring. So I would say that I’m happy with the development of the team.

I think that this tournament has achieved its targets and I hope that this Under-17 tournament will continue for the development of the game.”