U-20 turn tables
The Malawi Under-20 national soccer team yesterday defied the odds to turn a contest on its head against Angola with a 1-4 victory away in Luanda to reach within touching distance of the 2019 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations’ (Afcon) qualification.
After going down 1-2 in the first leg of the the second round qualifier, the odds appeared stacked against the Junior Flames but they punched above their weight to come out triumphant.
Malawi will face winners between South Africa’s Amajita and Mozambique who were meeting yesterday as we went to press.
According to www.angolanews.com, Kelvin Kadzinje drew first blood for Malawi in the 10th minute before Auspicious Kadzongola made it 2-0. Chikondi Mbeta struck the third on the half hour.
Peter Banda scored the fourth in the 46th minute before the stunned hosts pulled one back two minutes into the second half, but by the then the Junior Flames had already done it to perfection.
In an interview through WhatsApp, Junior Flames coach Meke Mwase, who had vowed to turn the tables, described his charges’ performance as incredible.
“I never had doubts in their capabilities. They played like they were possessed and fought from the first to the last whistle,” he said.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu described the result as massive for Malawi.
“What a turn around! This is incredible! We are proud of our young heroes who continue to give us hope for the future. They have accomplished what looked like an impossible task,” he said.n
