Malawi National Team Head Coach, Kalisto Pasuwa, has warned his charges not to underestimate Namibia in their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier this evening at the Bingu National Stadium.
The Flames need a win to remain in contention for a direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup or at least a spot in the playoffs.
Pasuwa made it clear that the team must focus to collect maximum points against a side which they have never beaten at home.
“People might take it as one of those small teams, but there are no longer small teams in Africa these days. These are teams that will give you problems, so that’s the game that we need to put our mind together in order for us maybe to pick up a result. We need to grind everything in front of us to come up with results,” Pasuwa said.
Pasuwa acknowledged that Namibia’s solid form in the campaign makes them a team not to take lightly, highlighting that their recent performances show they are a formidable opponent.
“We had a good training session and the players are in good physical condition. We hope to quickly adjust tactically ahead of the game We have never beaten Namibia at home and I believe this is the time to change our fortunes.,” he said.
Malawi will look to continue their recovery from a disappointing 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, where they only managed one victory in six group stage matches.
They will build on their dominant 4-0 aggregate win over Comoros in the African Nations Championship qualification earlier this month
Since Pasuwa took over as head coach in November last year, Malawi has not conceded a goal in four matches while scoring seven goals.
Pasuwa sees this defensive solidity as the foundation for building a strong game plan against Namibia adding that the first priority is to remain solid at the back before focusing on other areas.
“Building a team starts from the back, and we hope that when we play tomorrow, we will continue to be solid defensively,” he concluded.
Malawi is unbeaten in their last five encounters with Namibia, with three of the last four matches between the two teams ending in draws.
Flames are fourth in group H with six points two behind Namibia who remain unbeaten, with two wins and two draws, including a 3-0 awarded victory over Equatorial Guinea.
