Malawi National Football Team stays winless within the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers following a goal-less draw towards Burundi at Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, final evening.
The end result noticed the Flames incomes their first level within the marketing campaign having misplaced 4 consecutive matches.
The Flames will host Burkina Faso at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) of their final Group L match on Monday.
Malawi had been additionally in search of revenge having misplaced 3-2 to Burundi within the qualifiers’ opening match at BNS in September.
But all they managed was a stalemate which left them anchoring the group with only one level from 5 matches whereas Burundi stay third with three factors from the identical variety of matches.
Flames interim coach Kalisto Pasuwa trusted new personnel in his first match in cost with seasoned Gabadinho Mhango, Charles Petro and Richard Mbulu making it into the beginning line-up.
Yankho Singo was handed his debut whereas Gaddie Chirwa and Alick Lungu additionally began.
Captain John Banda, goalkeeper William Thole, Lanjesi Nkhoma, Dennis Chembezi and MacDonald Lameck had been the one survivors from the aspect that performed within the 1-0 loss to Senegal at house underneath speedy previous coach Patrick Mabedi.
Malawi began the match with warning and ended up sitting too deep within the first half.
The twin partnership of Mbulu and Mhango was remoted upfront and did not create significant possibilities.
But the Flames got here near scoring from Mhango’s free kick after Mbulu was fouled on the sting of the field with three minutes to the break however the effort went broad.
After half time, Burundi upped the tempo of the sport and received the primary likelihood with Malawi’s defence failing to clear a cross within the field however Thole got here to the rescue.
Later within the second half, the Flames made a triple substitution with Singo, Mbulu and Chirwa paving approach for Lloyd Aaron, Chawanangwa Kaonga and Lloyd Njaliwa.
Moments later, Lameck was fortunate to stay on the pitch after the referee gave him a crimson card following a bookable offence which he mistakenly thought was a second one.
But the match official later rescinded his choice after realizing that it was the primary.
Shortly afterwards, the Silver Strikers defender was pulled out for Gomezgani Chirwa whereas Nkhoma was substituted for Wisdom Mpinganjira.
Burundi virtually scored a couple of minutes later from shut vary however Thole produced a beautiful double save to maintain out the risk.
Mhango may have received the match for the Flames in direction of full time however his effort was cleared off the road.
He had one other likelihood to attain in stoppage time however his bicycle kick went broad.
Pasuwa mentioned it was a very good end result.
“This is a good result for us considering that we had little time with the players. The result gives the players and everyone the confidence that we can soldier on,” Pasuwa mentioned.
