Malawi National Team Head Coach, Kalisto Pasuwa, says the Flames are fully prepared for their Thursday evening clash against Equatorial Guinea, despite the absence of captain Gabadinho Mhango, who is suspended for the match.
The Flames currently sit fourth in Group H with 10 points, and they still have a mathematical possibility of finishing second — provided Namibia (who occupy second place with 15 points from eight games) lose their final two fixtures against Liberia and Tunisia.”
Speaking during a pre-match press conference in Lilongwe, Pasuwa said his squad is fully prepared and eager to put up a strong performance.
“By yesterday, we had most of the players we called up. The guys are okay — we trained the day before yesterday and they responded well. These are players who are eager to do more for the National Team,” said Pasuwa.
“From their response and the way they are training, we need to rectify the areas we didn’t do well last time, like conceding early goals. We have been emphasizing that we must perform well in each and every game. Remember, these are World Cup Qualifiers where teams are evaluated based on FIFA rankings — that’s why we’re putting in much effort.”
“We wanted to try new players, but we will do so with results in mind. So far, so good — the players are doing well.”
The Head Coach confirmed that England-based defender Jubril Adesope Okedina will miss both matches against Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé & Príncipe due to injury.
He also revealed that midfielder Chikumbutso Salima is unavailable after sustaining an injury during his club’s TNM Super League match against Silver Strikers last weekend.
Malawi will be aiming to avenge their first-round loss to Equatorial Guinea, while also boosting their chances of finishing second in Group H and improving their FIFA ranking.
