Flames to face Senegal, others

The Malawi National Football Team will battle it out against the 2021 African champions Senegal and two others in the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification race.

Besides the star-studded Lions of Teranga, the  Flames’ other Group L opponents are Burkina Faso’s Stallions and Burundi, following a draw held yesterday at SuperSport television studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Neighbours Zambia’s Chipolopolo have been drawn in Group G with 2023 Afcon champions Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Chad.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka yesterday described the group as an interesting one.

He said: “What an exciting line up in the CAF draw looking at the teams we have been drawn with. These are big teams in Africa. Senegal are 2021 Afcon champions. We met them in that competition and drew with them 0-0. So we have played them before. Burkina Faso we were in the same Group when we qualified for the 2021 Cameroon finals, losing away 3-1 and drawing at home 0-0.

“Even Burundi, who are lowly ranked team in the group are not an easy side. We saw how they managed to contain Kenya in 2026 World Cup qualifiers which we hosted at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe last month.

So, it’s going to be an exciting journey for us to make it from this group. But like we always say, for you to be the best, you need to beat the best. If you want to go to Afcon, you have to beat the best teams in Africa.”

Zakazaka said the Flames need to prepare well for the qualifiers to be played between September to November this year.

 He said: “Fifty-four nations are fighting for those 24 slots to the final, so we have to prepare well. So we are going to the drawing board, we know what we are facing.

“The team now has to prepare since we now know these teams. We will wait for the official fixtures to see how our journey is going to look like.”

Flames coach Patrick Mabedi, who has been given a target to qualify for the finals in a two-year contract, was not available for comment.

However, the coach had earlier said he is ready to face any team in the qualification battle.

“I am ready for any team my brother,” the tactician had said before the draw.

In the last edition, Malawi was in the same group with Ethiopia, Egypt and Guinea but failed to qualify for the finals in Ivory Coast.

Football analyst Charles Nyirenda said Malawi needs to ensure they prepare well for the qualifiers if they are to make it.

He said: “This is not an easy group. Malawi and Burundi need to do a lot.