The Malawi National football team, the Flames, secured a 3-1 victory against Sao Tome and Principe at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe during a qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Chawanagwa Kaonga, a forward based in Zambia, scored the opening goal in the sixth minute, and Lanjesi Nkhoma added the second four minutes later, putting the Flames ahead 2-0 within the first 20 minutes.
Despite having opportunities to score more goals, the team’s poor finishing and indecisiveness in front of the goal meant the first half ended 2-0 in favour of the Flames.
In the second half, the Flames attempted to maintain control by playing possession football. However, Sao Tome’s high-pressing tactics caused the Flames to struggle with possession, leading Sao Tome to score a goal in the 67th minute.
As Sao Tome continued to press for a second goal, Chifundo Phasi secured the Flames’ victory by scoring the third goal in the 79th minute, assisted by Patrick Mwaungulu, making the score 3-1.
In the 87th minute, Coach Patrick Mabedi made three substitutions, replacing Chimwemwe Idana, Chifundo Mphasi, and Chawanagwa Kaonga with Chikondi Kamanga, Henri Kumwenda, and Zeliat.
With this victory, Malawi moved to third position in Group H with 6 points. Tunisia leads the group with 9 points, followed by Namibia with 7 points, Liberia with 4 points, and Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe at the bottom of the group with no points.
The Flames’ next match is against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo on Monday, 10th June 2024. A win in this match will enhance Malawi’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals.