Flames get boost
The Flames have received a timely boost ahead of this afternoon’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo after getting an extra K250 000 bonus each for their 3-1 victory over Sao Tome and Principe at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Thursday.
This means the players went home with K750 000 each for the triumph as they are entitled to K500 000 each for a win.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the gesture was a token of appreciation “for a job well done and as a motivation ahead of tomorrow’s [today] match”.
He said: “The players got their dues soon after the match following a directive from the FAM president [Fleetwood Haiya] which has not happened for some time.”
Equatorial Guinea and Malawi go head to head at Nuevo Estadio de Malabo after registering contrasting mid-week results. The Nzalang Nacionale lost 1-0 to the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia away on Wednesday.
Equatorial Guinea are without a point, having forfeited six points for featuring an ineligible player in their first two matches.
But to their credit, they have won each of their last eight competitive home matches since 2019, scoring 12 goals and keeping eight clean sheets. Thus, they head into the match looking to extend that impressive run.
On the other hand, the Flames, who are third in the six-team Group H with six points from three matches, will be buoyed by their win on Thursday.
Flames coach Patrick Mabedi said while they will have to exercise caution playing away, they are determined to get a positive result.
“We know it won’t be easy considering that Equatorial Guinea had six points deducted and then they lost to Tunisia and they will come flat out, but we are ready for them,” he said.
The Flames gaffer is set to replace injured Zambia-based midfielder Robert Saizi with wonderboy Patrick Mwaungulu while maintaining the starting line-up against Sao Tome which had the striking trio of Zambia-based duo ChawanangwaKaonga and ChifundoMphasi, as well as LanjesiNkhoma.
ChimwemweIdana and Lloyd Aaron will complete the midfield while Iraq-based Dennis Chembezi will marshal the defence.
The Flames are ranked 125th on Fifa rankings, 56 places below the Equatorial Guinea.
