Flames coach Kallitso Pasuwa has described the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers draw as fair after being pooled alongside familiar foes Egypt’s Pharaohs and Parancas Negras of Angola as well as South Sudan’s Bright Stars in Group B.
The draw was conducted yesterday in Cairo, Egypt ahead of the qualifying campaign which starts in September and concludes in March 2027.
The Pharaohs, record seven-time African champions and ranked 29th on Fifa World Rankings, are the group’s top seed followed by Angola on 89th, Malawi on 127th and South Sudan 170th.
In an interview, Pasuwa, who was handed 2027 Afcon qualification as one of his targets in his contract, admitted that the group presents a huge challenge, but remained optimistic about Malawi’s chances of qualification.
| Courtesy of FAM
| Courtesy of FAM
He said: “It is a fair draw in my opinion since we will play all the teams. We played Egypt in the past and a lot has changed since then. Remember every game is a new game.”
However, he called for support from all stakeholders if the Flames are to make it to the finals.
“To qualify we must play as Malawi. We must all pull in the same direction and avoid in fighting. At the end of the day, it is a collective effort,” he said.
But football analyst Twaha Chimuka described the draw as tough, especially considering Egypt’s pedigree and Angola’s superior ranking.
“It’s a very tough ftaw and can be regarded as a group of death, especially when you consider the type of opponents we have in this draw. Egypt and Angola are a tough draw for any team on the continent, so having both of them in our group is really a tough road,” he said.
Chimuka also described the draw as a good litmus test for Pasuwa.
He said: “This is also a good test for us to see if we are moving in the right direction or not considering that there’s another Afcon in 2028.
“Pasuwa must also manage people’s expectations. He needs to be clear to Malawians about the realistic targets we can achieve during this journey. He needs to plan properly about the possible number of points we can get and how to get them.”
Another analyst, George Chiusiwa, said Pasuwa should not be deceived into believing it will be an easy road.
He said: “Realistically, this may not be described as an easy group owing to the fact that it has been a while since Malawi stood the heat against teams like Egypt and Angola.”
Chiusiwa noted that poor preparations may also affect the team’s performance.
“With good preparations and a fine Afcon qualification strategy the Flames can book a ticket to the promised land,” he said.
The 2027 Afcon finals qualification will see 48 nations divided into 12 groups of four teams each battling it out for a place at the finals to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Twenty-four teams will make it to the finals and with the three co-hosts already assured of places, the other teams will battle for the 21 slots.
Group winners and runners-up will earn direct qualification to the finals. While playing in the qualifiers, the three hosts will not be part of qualification rankings in their groups.
Malawi will be searching for a fourth appearance at Afcon finals after making it in 1984, 2010 and 2021.
