Malawi settled for a fourth-place finish at the Mukuru Four Nations Tournament following a 1-0 defeat to hosts Botswana in the third-place playoff.
The decisive moment came in the 66th minute when Botswana capitalized on a failed Malawi set-piece, launching a quick counterattack that resulted in the only goal of the match.
The Flames created chances but struggled to convert them, an issue head coach Kalisto Pasuwa acknowledged after the match.
“We failed to score, and that has been our main problem. We called all our players because these are the games where we need to build as a team, and we can still draw positives from this match,” he said.
Pasuwa also noted signs of improvement despite the result.
“It’s part of the game. Compared to the previous match, the boys played better and showed more eagerness. Goals are not coming, so we have to go back and identify where we are missing out,” he said.
Despite showing moments of promise, Malawi could not find the equaliser as Botswana held on to secure victory.
The result sees the Flames conclude the tournament in fourth place.
Lineup: George Chikooka, Macdonald Lameck, Maxwell Paipi (Chawanangwa Gumbo 80′), Nickson Nyasulu, Emmanuel Nyirenda, Lloyd Njaliwa, Babatunde Adepoju, Wisdom Mpinganjira, Patrick Mwaungulu (Festus Dube 63′), Gomegzani Chirwa, Malango Mayele (Gadi Chirwa 63′)
