Malawi national football team have been drawn with the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) runners-up Egypt in D of the 2023 Côte d’Ivoire AFCON qualifiers together with Guinea as well as Ethiopia.
The draw for the qualifiers, that kick off in June, was conducted on Tuesday evening in South Africa .
All the four teams in the group qualified for the 2021 AFCON with Egypt losing to Senegal on penalties in the final while Malawi and Guinea bowed out in the round of 16. Ethiopia were eliminated in the group staged.
Malawi last played Egypt in AFCON qualifiers in 2008 when the two sides were in the same group for the 2010 World and AFCON joint qualifiers with the Flames wining the first leg 1-0 at the Kamuzu Stadium while the Pharaohs won 2-0 at home in Cairo.
The Flames face Guinea again after they were in the same group at the 2021 AFCON finals where the West Africans won 1-0
Guinea and Malawi were also in the same group in the 2017 AFCON qualifiers and the Flames managed to earn a point in a goalless draw away but lost 2-1 at Kamuzu Stadium.
Ethiopia and Malawi last played each other in the AFCON qualifiers in 2014 when the Flames won 3-2 at the Kamuzu Stadium while the return fixture in Addis Ababa ended goalless .
Reacting to the draw Flames coach Marion Marinica said :” Like all the draws there is not much to say as an easy draw. All the teams have their chances. But this time our group seems to be a tough group. All the opponents have very good pedigree and track record. Egypt are a fantastic team with fantastic players so it will not be easy. Guinea they also have good record against just like Ethiopia if you look in the last game they best us 4-0.
“But like we have done in AFCON we have to believe in our chances ,work hard and be very well prepared and organized as well as analyze all our opponents.
