Ten men Malawi’s resilient defensive display was undone in the dying moments as they conceded twice in the last five minutes to lose 2-0 to Tunisia away in Tunis in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier.
Second-half substitute Seifeddine Jaziri broke the deadlock at 86th minute before Elias Achouri sealed the win from the penalty spot in the 90th minute.
The hosts capitalized on their numerical advantage after Lloyd Aaron was sent off for a second bookable offense, leaving the Flames to battle the final 25 minutes with 10 men.With this result, Tunisia extended their lead at the top of Group H to 16 points, while Namibia remain second with 12 points after five matches.
The Flames, who have now lost three consecutive defeats, have slipped to fifth place with six points and Equatorial Guinea who held Namibia to a 1-1 draw are now fourth.
Kalisto Pasuwa’s side will now turn their focus to the African Nations Championship (CHAN), where they face South Africa in a two-legged tie in May, before resuming their World Cup Qualifiers against Namibia and Liberia in September.
First half: Malawi match Tunisia pound-to-pound
Following a 1-0 defeat at home in the reverse fixture, Malawi aimed to avoid a third straight loss in the campaign.
Head coach Kalisto Pasuwa deployed a defensive setup, with Nixon Mwase, Dennis Chembezi, and Gomezgani Chirwa forming a back three, while Alick Lungu and MacDonald Lameck operated as wingbacks.
Lloyd Banega and John Banda anchored the midfield, providing a balance between defensive solidity and transition play, while Richard Mbulu led the line as the lone striker with Chawanangwa Kaonga and Llyod Njaliwa operating in the wings.
Tunisia started on the front foot, buoyed by their home crowd. Nice defender Ali Abdi sent an early header over the bar from a corner before Elias Achouri fired another effort off target.
Malawi registered their first real threat in the 16th minute when Mbulu outmuscled his marker and unleashed a powerful shot, only for CS Sfaxien goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen to produce a stunning save.
Moments later, Lloyd Aaron fired wide from distance.
Despite Tunisia dominating possession, the Flames defended with discipline, absorbing pressure efficiently. Their best first-half chance came when MacDonald Lameck initiated a counterattack, delivering a pinpoint cross to CJ Banda, who teed up Mbulu who headed the ball in the path of Njaliwa whose header rattled the crossbar, agonizingly close to giving Malawi the lead.
Statistically, Malawi edged Tunisia in the first half, registering two shots on target compared to Tunisia’s one, despite the hosts maintaining slightly superior possession.Goalkeeper William Thole remained largely untroubled, making just one save in the opening 45 minutes.
Second-half: drama Tunisia’s late surge
Pasuwa made two halftime substitutions, introducing Yankho Singo and Wisdom Mpinganjira for MacDonald Lameck and John Banda.
However, it was Tunisia who started the second half with intent.
Ali Abdi fired another shot over the bar before the game turned in the 65th minute. Lloyd Aaron received his second yellow card for a tactical foul, reducing Malawi to 10 men.
With the numerical advantage, Tunisia intensified their attacking play, forcing Malawi into a low block.
The hosts registered nine shots on target in the second half alone, with Thole producing seven outstanding saves to keep his side in contention.
Tunisia amassed 17 goal attempts and seven corners, while Malawi failed to win a single corner in the second period.
Eventually, the Flames’ resistance was broken in the 86th minute when substitute Jaziri capitalized on a defensive error, slotting home from close range.
The final minutes were filled with drama. Tunisia won a penalty at 90 minutes after Nixon Mwase was adjudged to have fouled an opponent inside the box. Achouri stepped up and coolly converted past Thole to double the lead.
Malawi had a chance to pull one back deep into stoppage time when Chembezi was brought down in the penalty area. However, Mbulu’s spot-kick was easily saved by Dahmen.
Head Coach, Kalisto Pasuwa described the result as painful after playing well in the first half.
“They couldn’t manage to break us through, we were very solid defensively but after getting a red card, we had some problem in terms of withstanding pressure until 85 minutes,” he said.
