Malawi's National Under-20 Football Team has been eliminated from the race for the TotalEnergies Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations despite a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Comoros in their final Group C match of the Cosafa Under-20 Championship. The match took place at ABB Stadium in Maputo, Mozambique. The Junior Flames finished second in Group C with six points but were eliminated from the semi-finals on goal difference, with Angola advancing as the best runners-up.
The elimination came in cruel fashion after the Junior Flames fought back from a goal down to snatch victory in stoppage time. Comoros took the lead through Ziyad Ali Moussa in the 23rd minute. The Junior Flames thought they had levelled when Webster Mzunda found the net, but VAR ruled out the goal for offside. Comoros were then denied a second goal just before recess after VAR intervened again.
The Junior Flames refused to give up and finally found the breakthrough in the 92nd minute when Germany-based Mwisho Mhango equalised. Austin Yasin completed the stunning turnaround two minutes later, scoring in the 94th minute to give Malawi a 2-1 victory. However, the late winner could not rescue their campaign.
The solace for Malawi was that midfielder Yasin was named Player of the Match. Malawi had earlier lost 2-0 to Zambia in their opening match before responding with a 3-0 victory over Botswana and the comeback win against Comoros. Their six points left them level with Angola, but Angola secured the best runners-up position on goal difference.
Zambia topped Group C with nine points after winning all three matches, while Namibia also completed a perfect Group A campaign with nine points. In Group B, defending champions South Africa completed their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Eswatini to finish top of the group and qualify for the semi-finals.
Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Angola will now battle in the semis. Malawi's elimination means they could not replicate last year's run to the final where they lost to South Africa. Despite the setback, Malawi Under-20 head coach Enos Chatama praised his charges for staging a great comeback.
The semi-finals will feature the top teams from each group, with the winners advancing to the final. Malawi's exit marks the end of their campaign in the Cosafa Under-20 Championship. The team's performance in the tournament showed resilience, particularly in their comeback win against Comoros.
Key points
- Malawi's National Under-20 Football Team was eliminated from the TotalEnergies Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations despite a 2-1 comeback win over Comoros.
- The Junior Flames finished second in Group C with six points but were eliminated on goal difference.
- Midfielder Austin Yasin was named Player of the Match for his role in the comeback win.
