The Malawi Under-23 National Football Team suffered a 0-1 home loss to Eswatini in the first leg of the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe. The team's defeat means they must beat Eswatini in the second leg away at Somhlolo National Stadium on October 6 by at least a two-goal margin to progress. The match was marked by Malawi's dominance, but they failed to capitalize on numerous scoring chances.
Malawi Under-23 head coach Bob Mpinganjira expressed disappointment with the loss, but remained optimistic about the team's chances in the second leg. He attributed the loss to the team's failure to score from the numerous chances they created, and praised his team's performance in the first half. Mpinganjira said the team would review their mistakes and come back stronger in the second leg.
In the match, Malawi enjoyed possession and created several scoring opportunities, but were caught off-guard by Eswatini's late strike. Vilakati Sibonelo scored the winning goal for Eswatini in the 73rd minute, arrowing home from just outside the box. Malawi's attacker Mwisho Mhango twice came close to scoring within a space of 10 minutes in the first half, but his shots were either blocked or parried away by the Eswatini goalkeeper.
Eswatini assistant coach Musa Manyatsi attributed his team's win to their preparation. He said the team was well-prepared and executed their game plan to perfection. The aggregate winner of the two-legged tie will advance to face Algeria in the second round.
This is the second time in seven years that the Malawi Under-23 is taking part in the Afcon qualifier, which also serves as a qualifier for the 2028 Olympic Games. They last competed in the continental showpiece in 2019 when they lost 1-0 to Zambia in the first round. The team's performance in the qualifiers has been inconsistent, and they will need to improve significantly to progress to the next stage.
In the match, Malawi's closest chance in the second half was wasted when Oscar Petro headed wide in the 83rd minute. The team's failure to score from numerous chances was a recurring theme throughout the match, and they will need to address this issue in the second leg. Mpinganjira's team will need to be more clinical in front of goal if they are to progress to the next stage.
The second leg of the tie will be played on October 6 at Somhlolo National Stadium in Eswatini. Malawi will need to win by at least two goals to progress to the next stage, a challenging task against a well-prepared Eswatini team. The winner of the tie will face Algeria in the second round, a significant challenge for either team.
Key points
- Malawi must beat Eswatini by at least two goals in the second leg to progress to the next stage.
- The team's failure to score from numerous chances was a major factor in their loss.
- This is the second time in seven years that Malawi Under-23 has taken part in the Afcon qualifier.
