Gwengwe pulls out of Malawi squad to stay at County

[Huw Evans Picture Agency] Shaquille Gwengwe will be available for Newport County's upcoming League Two games with Grimsby and Gillingham after pulling out of the Malawi squad. The forward received his first international call-up for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against South Sudan and Angola. That would have led to the summer signing from Poole missing the games against the Mariners and Gills along with the Football League Trophy fixture against Plymouth. But Gwengwe, who has featured in all seven league games so far, has opted to stay in Wales. "Following discussions with the Football Association of Malawi, Shaquille has made the difficult decision not to join the squad on this occasion due to the circumstances surrounding this particular window," read a Newport statement. "Shaquille, who has scored four goals for the Exiles since his arrival from Poole Town this summer, is extremely proud to have been selected for the Malawi national team and remains fully committed to representing his country in the future." Gwengwe came off the bench in Tuesday's Football League Trophy win at Swindon.