The Flames yesterday got down to business with their first training session in Cairo, Egypt ahead of Friday night’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against The Pharaohs with coach Kallisto Pasuwa emphasising to his charges that he expects the best from them.

The training session was the team’s first since arriving in Cairo in the early hours of Monday, with eight local-based players and two foreign-based players initially in camp.

By last evening, Pasuwa had 22 of the players called up for the double-header against the Pharaohs.

Germany-based forward Mwisho Mhango, Nickson Nyasulu, Washali Jaziya, McDonald Lameck, Lloyd Njaliwa and Gomezgani Chirwa have also joined the squad.

The players linked up with Richard Mbulu, Babatunde Adepoju, Francisco Madinga, Patrick Mwaungulu and Lanjesi Nkhoma, who arrived earlier.

Two others, Charles Petro and Wisdom Mpinganjira were expected to join the team at press time while the duo of  Adiel Kaduya and Chikumbutso Salima are expected to arrive today.

Pasuwa believes the team’s early arrival in Cairo has given him enough time to work with the players as a unit.

The tactician also explained why he delayed the first full training session after the team’s arrival in Egypt.

“We arrived here in the early hours of the morning, around 3am. We couldn’t do stretches in the morning because we wanted the players to rest more,” he said.

Pasuwa said after giving the players a day’s rest, the technical panel would concentrate on tactics, particularly working with those who were not involved in previous matches.

“Having these players with us for three or four days can be good in terms of how we need to prepare ourselves,” he said.