Malawi’s COSAFA Cup hopes on brink after Namibia draw

The Malawi National Football Team, the Flames, secured a point in a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Namibia in their second Group B match at the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup on Sunday. Despite a spirited performance at the Dr. Rantlai Petrus Molemela Stadium, Malawi was unable to find the back of the net.

The draw leaves the Flames at the bottom of Group B with one point from two games, while Namibia sits in third place with two points from their two matches. Malawi now faces a must-win scenario in their final group game against leaders Angola on Tuesday, with their semifinal hopes also hinging on the outcome of the match between Namibia and Lesotho.

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Earlier on Sunday, Angola significantly boosted Malawi’s semifinal chances with a commanding 4-0 victory over Lesotho. This result has left Group B wide open, giving all teams a fighting chance to progress.

Coach Peter Mponda made several changes to the starting XI following their opening loss to Lesotho. Promise Kamwendo replaced Zeliati Nkhoma upfront, while Blessings Singini, Emmanuel Nyirenda, and Gaddie Chirwa came in for Wongani Lungu, Maxwell Paipi, and Timothy Silwimba, respectively.

Malawi had an early scare when Namibia’s Bethuel Muzeu fired over the bar. However, the Flames quickly asserted themselves, earning four corner kicks and registering two shots on target in the first half. Chikumbutso Salima had an early free-kick deflected by the wall, and Promise Kamwendo’s 14th-minute goal was disallowed for offside.

Despite creating numerous opportunities, including a close-range shot from Salima heroically saved by Namibian goalkeeper Ndisiro, Malawi couldn’t break the deadlock. Yankho Singo made a crucial block to deny Namibia, and goalkeeper Chikooka parried away a curling effort from Joslin Kamatuka. The first half ended goalless, despite Malawi’s clear dominance in possession and chances.

The Flames picked up where they left off in the second half, with Singo forcing another save from Ndisiro with a powerful shot.

Kamwendo combined with Salima, whose left-footed effort sailed over the bar. Singo received a caution in the 60th minute.

Despite relentless pressure from Malawi, Namibia’s tall central defensive pairing of Charles Hambira and Ivan Kamberipa stood firm, thwarting all threats. Blessings Mpokera headed over from a Salima free-kick, and Wisdom Mpinganjira was denied late in the game.

In the dying minutes, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) checked for a penalty after Salima went down in the box, but no foul was awarded, and the match concluded in a pulsating draw.

First Assistant Coach Peter Mponda expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, especially after failing to register a single shot on target in their opening match. Against Namibia, Malawi forced three crucial saves and had eight goal attempts.

“Today, we played good football; it’s only the scoreline,” Mponda stated. “We created a number of chances, unfortunately, we didn’t take them. But the way we played, we showed a reaction to the defeat against Lesotho, where we complained about not creating chances and not having numbers in the box. Today’s performance was very encouraging.”

Mponda acknowledged the team’s slim chances of qualifying for the semifinals, emphasizing the need to win their last game against Angola and await other results.

“I’m very encouraged with the way the guys played; we created chances, good football, very happy. We have given ourselves slim hopes. The way we have played today, we believe that we can get three points against Angola. Not happy with the result; we wanted to win but we didn’t take the chances,” he concluded.