The Flames will this afternoon seek redemption as they take on Brave Warriors of Namibia in the 2026 Fifa World Cup Group H qualifier at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, Botswana.
Since his appointment as Flames head coach, Kallisto Pasuwa has endured mixed fortunes with his statistics reflecting both promise and shortcomings as he continues the rebuilding process.
The Zimbabwean tactician goes into today’s match having recorded five wins, two draws and four losses which translates to a win rate of 45.5 percent, 18.2 percent draws and 36.4 percent losses.
For the first time, the coach has a full squad with all call-ups reporting for duty, including 15 foreign-based players among them TP Mazembe’s Patrick Mwaungulu and Lanjesi Nkhoma, USA-based Henri Kumwenda and Mayele Malango, Richards Bay forward Gabadinho Mhango and Japan-based Washali Jaziya.
Pasuwa began his tenure on a positive note, holding Burundi to a goalless draw before guiding the Flames to an emphatic 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
He followed that up with another solid performance, masterminding a 2-0 away and home win against Comoros in African Nations Championship, but got knocked out by South Africa after a 1-0 home win and 2-0 loss in the second round in Pretoria.
A poor outing at the 2025 Cosafa Cup in June followed where Malawi struggled, suffering 1-0 defeats to Lesotho and Angola and a 0-0 draw with Brave Warriors.
In the Flames last match, Pasuwa’s charges lost 2-1 to Botswana on July 6 in a friendly to celebrate Malawi’s 61st Independence Anniversary at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
The Flames also went on to lose 3-0 in post-match penalties that followed.
Despite the Flames showing flashes of dominance in victories against Burkina Faso, Comoros and South Africa, inconsistencies, especially at the Cosafa Cup exposed lapses in concentration and moments where the team lacked the killer instinct in front of goal.
Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles firmly sit at the top of the pool followed by Brave Warriors, Liberia are on third, Equatorial Guinea on fourth and Malawi on fifth. São Tomé and Príncipe are at the bottom.
While qualification hopes have already slipped from Malawi’s grasp, the match is a chance for Pasuwa to show that he is making progress in his rebuilding exercise.
For Namibia, a win would tighten their grip on second place and keep alive slim hopes of dislodging Tunisia at the summit.
But Namibia coach Collin Benjamin said he anticipates a tough opponent.
“In their last qualifier, Malawi lost to Tunisia, mainly because they got a red card. It was two or three minutes before the end of the first half. So, they are really a quality side that can handle pressure.
“So, that means coach Pasuwa is doing a good job,” he told The Namibian.
The Brave Warriors captain and all-time top scorer Peter Shalulile will lead the hosts with Orlando Pirates winger Deon Hotto and Prins Tjiueza.
Football analyst George Chiusiwa said though out of contention, Pasuwa has all the reasons to aim for victory.
He said: “Pasuwa has no excuses as he has adequate tools at his.”
