Gabadinho set to equal Kanyenda, Davie Banda’s All-Time Appearance record for Flames

Hellings Frank “Gabadinho” Mhango is poised to make history when Malawi faces Namibia in their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier, as the veteran striker stands on the verge of equaling a significant national team milestone.

The 32-year-old forward, now the senior player in the Flames squad following captain John Banda’s omission, needs just one more appearance to match the record of 72 caps held jointly by legends Esau Kanyenda and Davie Banda.

Mhango has been a cornerstone of the national team since making his debut on July 6, 2012, against Zambia during Independence Day celebrations. Over 13 years of service, he has accumulated 71 appearances, making 54 starts and coming off the bench 17 times.

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His international record shows Malawi’s mixed fortunes during his tenure: 25 wins, 31 losses, and 15 draws across his 71 matches. These appearances span various competitions, including 28 AFCON qualifiers, 15 friendlies, 12 COSAFA matches, 11 World Cup qualifiers, three AFCON finals, and two other tournaments.

Special connection to Namibia

The upcoming match against Namibia holds particular significance for Mhango’s career. After a goalless start to his international journey—enduring six matches without finding the net—his breakthrough moment came in his seventh appearance, coincidentally against Namibia in Windhoek in March 2013, when he scored the winner in a 1-0 victory.

That goal opened the floodgates, and by his 10th international appearance, Mhango had netted his second goal in AFCON qualifiers, contributing to a 2-0 win before also scoring in the return leg during a 3-1 victory.

The prolific striker has since scored 18 goals for his country, with his most recent strike coming against Burkina Faso at home in his 70th appearance. Should he feature against Namibia in Francistown, Mhango will equal the 72-cap record and claim joint 21st place among Malawi’s all-time appearance makers.

Davie Banda, one of the current record holders, served the national team from 2006 to 2017, making his debut against Mozambique in a 1-1 draw and concluding his career against Madagascar.

The defensive midfielder started 62 matches and contributed five goals during his 11-year international career.

Esau Kanyenda, the other record holder, began his international journey in 1999 against Rwanda in Mzuzu and became one of Malawi’s most prolific scorers with 22 goals. The striker made 63 starts and nine substitute appearances during his tenure.

Fellow veteran Richard Mbulu is also approaching a significant milestone, needing just one appearance to equal the 46-cap record shared by Albert Mpinganjira and Laurent Kamanga. Mbulu, who has scored six international goals including the crucial strike against Uganda that secured Malawi’s qualification for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, currently has 45 caps.

Chawanangwa Kaonga has made 33 appearances since 2015, matching Charles Petro’s tally achieved since 2019.

While these achievements are significant, they pale in comparison to the all-time record held by Young Chimodzi, who remains Malawi’s most-capped player with an extraordinary 159 appearances between 1979 and 1995. The defender’s international career spanned 16 years, during which he scored 13 goals across various competitions.

Read the full list of All time appearances for Malawi’s players

Speaking about his return to the national team setup, Mhango expressed his enthusiasm for the challenges ahead.

“I’m very happy to be back again. Thanks for another opportunity—I’m grateful, and I think everyone is ready to play for the national team,” Mhango said. “Everyone is pushing to be in good form. I can tell the guys have been training well. We’re good to go, and I think we’re ready.”