From Refugee Camp to National Hero: Pasuwa Applauds Malango’s Growing Strength

Malawi national football team head coach Kalisto Pasuwa says he is pleased with the remarkable progress shown by forward Mayele Malango, whose endurance and adaptation to the Flames’ system have improved. The striker, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Malawi after his parents fled civil unrest, is quickly becoming one of the most compelling stories in the national team setup.

Malango, who plays for Monterey Bay FC in the United States of America, was first called for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Namibia and Liberia in September. He featured briefly in both games, providing an assist to Gabadinho Mhango in the two all draw against Liberia. His contribution was promising, but his biggest limitation was clear. He could barely last twenty minutes before fading out of matches.

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Everything changed in Bloemfontein.

The Flames played a friendly double header against Lesotho at Toyota Stadium on November fifteen and eighteen. The first match ended in a goalless stalemate, but the second brought a moment that will live long in Malawi’s football folklore. In the twenty sixth minute, Malango ghosted into the box and connected beautifully with a Lloyd Aaron cross, guiding the ball home to score his first goal for the Flames in a game he was handed his first start.

It was history rewritten by a boy who once chased a ball on the dusty grounds of Dzaleka Refugee Camp. Malawi had not beaten Lesotho since 2009. Sixteen years of frustration, draws, and narrow escapes finally came to an end courtesy of a player who was only twelve years old the last time the Flames tasted victory against Likuena. The long drought ended through a son of two worlds who now wears Malawi’s red, green, and black with pride.

Head coach Kalisto Pasuwa could not hide his admiration for Malango’s transformation.

“He played very well as a striker. The problem I was having with him is that he could only play for twenty minutes and get tired, but today he played over sixty minutes. He has improved from the previous matches he has played,” Pasuwa said.

His words carried genuine delight. For a coach who has been searching for fresh attacking blood, finally seeing Malango stay on the pitch with strength and intelligence was a breath of fresh air. Pasuwa has been intentional in integrating diaspora players into the Flames, and Malango is quickly proving why that strategy matters.

From his early childhood at Dzaleka, playing barefoot with friends and brothers, to relocating with his parents to the United States, Malango’s journey has been stitched together by resilience. In America, he climbed the professional ladder step by step. He began at Boston Bolts in USL League Two in 2018 and 2019. In 2020 he moved to New England Revolution Two, then joined New Amsterdam FC in 2021. A year later he signed for Albion San Diego and later switched to Chattanooga Red Wolves where he scored three goals and provided one assist before earning a contract extension.

These experiences toughened him. They shaped his touch, sharpened his instincts, and molded a player who now stands ready to write new chapters with the Flames. His contract with Monterey Bay expires on November 30, but his football story appears to be moving into its brightest phase.

Malango’s improvement in match fitness gives Pasuwa a new dimension in attack. Add his courage, his technical quality, and the hunger forged through years of proving himself, and the Flames have a forward whose future looks promising.