Rachael Kaphaizi
Lesotho 0–1 Malawi
The Malawi Men’s National Football Team, the Flames, finally shattered their 16-year winless run against Lesotho, securing a hard-fought 1–0 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Toyota Stadium in South Africa.
The breakthrough came courtesy of Mayele Malango’s simple tap-in after Babatunde Adepoju flicked a long ball to Lloyd Aaron, who then provided the assist. The goal came 25 minutes into the first half.
The Flames dominated possession in the first half but struggled after the break.
In the opening half, they were able to build from the back, though finding the forwards proved difficult, managing only one shot on target.
Lesotho came out firing in the second half, pushing hard for an equaliser, but Malawi’s defence — Charles Petro, Blessings Mpokera, Maxwell Paipi and Nickson Nyasulu — held firm.
Sensing danger, coach Kallisto Pasuwa made changes, bringing on MacDonald Lameck and Lloyd Njaliwa for Malango and Chikumbutso Salima, before later introducing Gabadinho Mhango and Lanjesi Nkhoma for Robert Saizi and Adepoju.
In a post-match interview, Pasuwa attributed the friendly win to his players’ discipline, mental fortitude and improved connectivity between the team’s lines.
“Very happy, but with football, it is a win today and tomorrow you start cracking your head again,” said Pasuwa. “This time we managed to escape the press where we struggled previously. We had more possession in defence, midfield and attack.”
He acknowledged that while the victory is a welcome relief, the team’s focus must now shift to their next challenge.
Before this win, the two sides had played out a goalless draw on 15 November 2025 in their first friendly match.
The result marks a significant psychological boost for the Flames as they look to build momentum ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Line-up:
William Thole, Charles Petro, Maxwell Paipi, Blessings Mpokera, Lloyd Aaron, Babatunde Adepoju, Chikumbutso Salima, Blessings Singini, Malango Mayere, Robert Saizi, Nickson Nyasulu.
