The Malawi National Football Team have been officially eliminated from 2026 World Cup qualification after failing to finish among the four best runners-up teams in the CAF qualifiers.
Cameroon secured a dramatic 2-0 victory over Mauritius on Wednesday, with Dynamo Moscow forward Nicholas Ngamaleu and Manchester United winger Bryan Mbeumo scoring late goals to seal the away win.
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Meanwhile, Burkina Faso claimed a crucial 1-0 victory over Sierra Leone, courtesy of Mahomed Zougrana’s first-half strike.
Both Cameroon and Burkina Faso now sit on 18 points from nine games, finishing second in Group D and Group A respectively.
Cameroon trail group leaders Cape Verde by just two points. The Indomitable Lions will need Eswatini to defeat Cape Verde in the final round while they beat Angola to secure direct qualification. Otherwise, they will compete in the second-best runners-up playoffs for a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Burkina Faso, meanwhile, cannot qualify directly as they sit five points behind already-qualified Egypt. However, they have secured a playoff spot ahead of their final match against Lesotho.
Malawi’s Elimination Confirmed
The Flames currently sit fourth in Group H with 13 points and one game remaining. Even with maximum points from their final match, Malawi would finish on 16 points—two points short of the fourth-placed team in the runners-up race.
Malawi were awarded three points on Thursday after Equatorial Guinea failed to arrive for their scheduled fixture, with a 3-0 walkover victory going to the Flames. However, this boost proved insufficient to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Despite elimination, head coach Kalisto Pasuwa emphasized the importance of finishing the campaign strongly, highlighting the impact on FIFA Rankings.
“We will fight to win games. These are games which count when it comes to FIFA Rankings,” Pasuwa said.
Malawi will face São Tomé on Monday, with the team traveling to Tunisia on Friday morning.
Current Best Runners-Up Standings
The four best runners-up positions are currently held by:
- Gabon – 19 points
- Madagascar – 19 points
- Burkina Faso – 18 points
- Cameroon – 18 points
- •
•
Malawi- 13 points
Qualification Format
Under the CAF qualification format announced in May 2023, the nine group winners qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The four best group runners-up will compete in playoffs to determine which team advances to the inter-confederation playoffs.
The playoff winner will join representatives from AFC, CONMEBOL, OFC, and two teams from CONCACAF in the inter-confederation playoffs. Teams will be ranked by FIFA World Ranking, with the four lowest-ranked sides playing single-elimination matches. The winners will face the two highest-ranked teams, with those victors securing World Cup qualification.
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