Building through the storm:Pasuwa’s year at Flames has been journey of transformation amidst turbulence

When Kalisto Pasuwa stepped into the technical area as Malawi’s interim head coach on November 14, 2024, he inherited more than just a struggling national team—he inherited a crisis. The Flames were reeling from five consecutive defeats, having conceded 12 goals while managing just three. Their dreams of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations had been extinguished before Pasuwa’s arrival, and their 2026 World Cup hopes hung by the thinnest of threads.

One year later, as his team battled to a goalless draw against Lesotho in a friendly match in South Africa, the question lingering in the Malawian football consciousness isn’t simply about results—it’s about whether the nation can trust a process that demands patience in an environment that craves instant gratification.

The statistics from Pasuwa’s first 12 months paint a mixed portrait. From 17 matches across all competitions, the Zimbabwean tactician has secured six victories, four draws, and suffered seven defeats. The Flames have found the net 13 times, with three additional goals awarded following Equatorial Guinea’s failure to honor a fixture.

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His record in specific competitions reveals the magnitude of his challenge: three wins from four Africa Nation Championship qualifiers, one from two AFCON qualifiers, zero from three COSAFA Cup matches, two from six World Cup qualifiers, and zero from two friendlies. These are the cold facts that critics seize upon, ammunition for those demanding immediate change.

Yet beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative—one of systematic reconstruction rather than quick fixes, of long-term vision colliding with short-term expectations.

Pasuwa’s tenure began with promise. A resilient goalless draw away to Burundi was followed by a stunning home victory over Burkina Faso, igniting hope among the Malawian faithful. Impressive back-to-back wins against Comoros in the CHAN qualifiers suggested the architect of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets’ domestic dominance might work similar magic at international level.

Then came the storm.

Consecutive defeats to Tunisia and Namibia in World Cup qualifying dampened spirits. A home win against South Africa in CHAN offered brief respite, only for an away defeat to the same opponents to confirm elimination. But these setbacks, painful as they were, paled in comparison to what followed.

The COSAFA Cup campaign became Pasuwa’s darkest chapter—a tournament where Malawi finished rock bottom of their group, failing to score a single goal in three matches while losing to Angola and Lesotho, and drawing with Namibia. It was the nation’s poorest showing at the regional tournament in over a decade, a nadir that had critics sharpening their knives and supporters questioning everything.

The humiliation continued with a friendly defeat to Botswana, followed by a shock loss to lowly-ranked São Tomé and Príncipe—a team that hadn’t won in 10 matches, hadn’t tasted victory since 2022. The defeat left the squad shell-shocked. According to sources close to the team, granted anonymity to speak candidly, the atmosphere afterward was suffocating. There was minimal interaction among traveling party members. Players described feeling “unexpected” and “shocked” by the collapse.

Pasuwa himself was furious, publicly ripping into his players for their sloppy defensive and offensive displays.

In the unforgiving crucible of international football, where patience is scarce and pressure is relentless, Pasuwa and the Football Association of Malawi have embarked on something both treacherous and potentially revolutionary: they’ve declared their hand.

FAM President Fleetwood Haiya’s post-COSAFA Cup declaration sent shockwaves through conventional thinking. “We didn’t go to South Africa to win the tournament,” he stated with the confidence of a chess master sacrificing pieces for positional advantage. “Our main target was to give a chance to young talent as we embark on building a new team for the future.”

The 2027 AFCON qualifiers—not today’s friendlies, not yesterday’s COSAFA Cup—represent the true target, the destination around which every decision orbits.

“First thing is to build a team,” Pasuwa explained after the COSAFA disappointment. “Most of the teams at COSAFA used their stronger sides, so the confidence of our players saying I played against a player who plays in Portugal can easily make you say that he can be part of us. I think that’s the time to prepare for 2027 AFCON Qualifiers. We are still in the process of preparing for us to be ready.”

This approach represents Pasuwa’s most audacious gamble—not tactical, but psychological. By openly acknowledging the building process, he’s created a paradox: a team freed from the suffocating pressure of immediate success yet hungry for the validation that only victory can provide.

“One area which we should know—when you are building a team you also look at age,” Pasuwa elaborated. “Yes, we know that outside there you need instant results, and think that if we take experienced players we can get results. But we should take into our minds that we need youngsters who can be the next future players of our national team.”

The rebuilding isn’t mere rhetoric—the proof lies in selection patterns that would give any conservative coach nightmares. In 17 matches, Pasuwa has never repeated the same starting lineup. Not once.

Thirty-six different players have earned starting berths, including Chifundo Mphasi, who made his return against Lesotho after 16 matches in the wilderness. It’s a rotation that speaks to both experimentation and determination to unearth the right combination.

Among this carousel of change, some constants have emerged. Alick Lungu leads with 15 starts, followed by Macdonald Lameck (14), Yankho Singo (12), Richard Mbulu (10), Wisdom Mpinganjira (10), and George Chikooka (7). William Thole has established himself as first-choice goalkeeper, with Chikooka pushing hard. The defense—featuring Charles Petro, Lameck, and Lungu as near-certainties—presents one of the more stable positions, though selecting the fourth defender from Gomezgani Chirwa, Emmanuel Nyirenda, and Dennis Chembezi remains a puzzle.

Pasuwa has also injected fresh blood into the system: Babatunde Adepoju, Mayele Malango, and most recently, Ivory Coast-born forward Yann Kouakou, who earned his first call-up for the Lesotho friendlies. The 26-year-old Europa Point FC striker, who qualifies through his Malawian-born father, represents the continuation of Pasuwa’s long-held philosophy.

For nearly eight years, across his tenure at FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and now with the Flames, the Zimbabwean has maintained one consistent priority: finding players with the right physical attributes. FAM has aligned with this vision, actively tracing players with Malawian roots abroad, making body stature a key criterion in their recruitment strategy.

“Trusting the Process”

Not everyone shares the critics’ impatience. Erik Chiputula, an award-winning sports writer, sees method in what others perceive as madness.

“What Pasuwa is doing, it’s exactly what happens during a rebuilding process,” Chiputula observed. “You try here and there, but unfortunately, some mere supporters will not understand that. Since he took over the helm, he has been trying to change players, bringing European-born players and mixing young and experienced players.

“When he was signing his contract, there were targets which were set for him to achieve, and I hope all these changes are made to find a team which is fit for the games next year. Let’s trust his process.”

The atmosphere in camp suggests something fundamental has shifted. Sources indicate that Pasuwa has achieved what previous coaches struggled with—he’s gotten senior players to buy into the vision, to understand that their individual sacrifices today might forge collective glory tomorrow.

FAM President Haiya has remained steadfast in his support, committing to provide the necessary resources for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers launching next year. Winning COSAFA was acknowledged as a minor contractual target; qualifying for the 2027 AFCON finals remains the primary objective.

Saturday’s goalless draw against Lesotho—a team Malawi hasn’t beaten in 15 years—encapsulated both the progress and the persistent challenges. The Flames created chances in the first half that could have settled the contest but lacked the clinical edge to convert. Late in the match, they nearly conceded, a reminder that this rebuilding project remains a work in progress.

“Against Lesotho we had some chances that we could have buried the game in the first half,” Pasuwa reflected afterward. “We were not dangerous but we managed to resist. We are failing to have goals but remember, we are building a team and it’s a process, we will get there.”

He attributed the draw partly to logistics—Malawi arrived on match day morning, hours before kickoff—but also acknowledged deeper issues. “In today’s game, the boys came to play and they had the attitude to change the narrative that we haven’t beaten them. Which is different from the game against São Tomé.”

Critically, Pasuwa recognizes the mental work ahead. “We had problems from the games that we played in the two AFCON matches and we have reshuffled the team. If you look at Lesotho, they have players who have been playing together since they were at U-17, so they are a good team.”

The Flames now stand at a crossroads that could either consume them entirely or catapult them into an unprecedented future. The narrative has been brutally consistent—a symphony of heartbreak punctuated by fleeting moments of brilliance that tantalize the soul before crushing it under the weight of reality.

The trolls have been relentless. From squad announcements to match days, criticism follows the national team like a shadow. It’s been a torturous journey since Pasuwa replaced Patrick Mabedi.

Yet beneath this carnage lies something far more dangerous—and far more promising—than mere failure. It’s the raw material of transformation. The question facing Malawian football isn’t whether Pasuwa’s first year produced enough wins. It’s whether the nation possesses the collective patience to see if his blueprint—forged through setbacks, refined in disappointment, and built on a foundation of youth and physicality—can deliver the promised land in 2027.

With another friendly against Lesotho scheduled for Tuesday—likely their final warm-up before AFCON qualifiers commence next year—Pasuwa has one more opportunity to fine-tune his evolving masterpiece before the stakes rise exponentially.

The story of Kalisto Pasuwa’s first year isn’t written in wins and losses alone. It’s written in the faces of young players given their first caps, in the strategic recruitment of diaspora talent, in the unwavering support of an association willing to weather the storm of public opinion for the possibility of future glory.

Whether this gamble pays off remains the great unknown. But Malawi has committed to a path less traveled, where short-term pain is the price for long-term potential. The journey through the storm continues, destination 2027, with a coach who refuses to deviate from his vision and a football association bold enough to back him.

The question now is whether the Malawian people—battered by years of disappointment, hungry for success—can find the faith to walk this road alongside them.