Malawi's Minister for Sports and Culture, Moses Dossi, in England attending the Commonwealth Games, watched Malawi's 3-1 victory over Stockport which was cast as a highlight of the Manchester Umbro International Football Festival, Britain's largest youth soccer tournament.

"It was magnificent to see so many people come to watch our team," he said.

"Football is like a religion to my people and it is wonderful to see them playing so well here."

Their match programme has been complemented by intensive training sessions at their Keele base, with FA staff putting the team through its paces at Lilleshall yesterday, applying a range of techniques to test and improve the players' fitness and endurance levels.

Today, the team has accepted an invitation to visit Manchester United's Academy in Carrington where they will meet Gary Neville and participate in a photoshoot to highlight the current plight of their country against a famine which threatens to be one of the worst humanitarian crises of recent times in southern Africa.

Malawi, alongside Botswana and Lesotho, is partnered with England under the UEFA-CAF Meridian Project, which links European countries with Africa to assist the development of African football. Dossi praised the Meridian Project as a 'wonderful initiative by CAF and UEFA in bringing my country together with England for the huge benefit of football in Malawi.'

The Malawi training camp is financed by The FA's International Development Programme which offers assistance around the world in the fields of coaching, refereeing administration and sports medicine.

If you are interested in making a donation to the DEC Southern Africa Crisis Appeal or want to find out more about it, click here or you can give the local-rate phone number a call on 0870 60 60 900. Donations are also accepted at post offices and major banks