Malawi's Flames Continue Winning Streak, Reach COSAFA Semi-Finals
Malawi's Flames beat Comoros 2-0 to reach COSAFA Cup semis.
Durban, South Africa-Malawi's national men's football team, the Flames, continued their winning streak on Tuesday, defeating Comoros 2-0 to reach the semi-finals of the 2023 COSAFA Senior Men's Cup, writes Happy Valirani.
The Flames made it three wins out of three in Group B, with all three victories coming by a score of 2-0.
Patrick Mabedi, the interim coach of Malawi, made only one change to the starting lineup from the previous match, bringing in Patrick Mwawungulu for Robert Saizi.
The Flames came out of the gates firing, and they took the lead in the 30th minute when Chawanangwa Kaonga converted a penalty after Patrick Mwawungulu was brought down in the box.
Malawi doubled their lead just five minutes later when Mwawungulu tapped in the rebound after a Chimwemwe Idana shot hit the post.
Comoros tried to rally in the second half, but Malawi's defence held firm.
The Flames created a number of chances to extend their lead, but they were unable to find the back of the net again.
Patrick Mwawungulu was named man of the match for his two-goal performance. Malawi will now face Lesotho in the semi-finals on Friday.
Coach Mabedi Delighted with Win
Coach Patrick Mabedi was delighted with the win, saying, "I need to thank the players because they have executed the plan well. We told the boys that they need to be patient when they have the ball."
"We were attacking with speed, and it worked for us; that's why we got the penalty and scored, and we got another goal. We knew that it was going to be a difficult game, as we know that Comoros played well in their previous games, and in all two games they scored goals. We realised that it is a good team, and we need to work harder and do our best in transition."
Malawi will be looking to continue their winning streak and reach the final of the COSAFA Cup.
They will need to be at their best against Lesotho, who are also unbeaten in the tournament.