Kalisto Pasuwa faces one of his biggest challenges yet as Malawi National Football Team head coach, ending a 16-year winless run against Lesotho that has quietly become one of the Flames’ most frustrating records.
When Malawi meet Lesotho in back-to-back international friendlies later this month at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, the matches will carry far more weight than routine preparation fixtures. For Pasuwa and his charges, they represent a chance to erase years of frustration while fine-tuning the squad ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The numbers are damning. Since a 1-0 win in a 2009 friendly, Malawi have failed to beat Lesotho in seven subsequent meetings, recording four draws and three defeats. It is a record that stands in sharp contrast to Malawi’s higher FIFA ranking of 128th, compared to Lesotho’s 144th.
“Remember, the 2027 AFCON qualifiers are just around the corner, so these matches are very important,” Pasuwa said ahead of the two fixtures.
While the coach is focused on tactical preparation, the underlying pressure is clear. Malawi need to turn performances into results. Lesotho have long defied the odds in this fixture, proving that rankings count for little when the game kicks off.
The November FIFA window comes at a critical time for Malawi, who recently slipped two places in the global rankings. Pasuwa was candid about what is at stake: “We need to win and move up places because it will determine our seeding during the draw.”
To that end, the Flames coach has called up a 26-man squad featuring 16 foreign-based players as he looks to blend continuity with experimentation. The selection includes newcomer Yann Kouakou of Europa Point FC who earns his first call up. The return of Uchizi Vunga and Blessings Mpokera, who featured at the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup, adds depth and experience.
“This will help us assess some of the players who haven’t been getting minutes in our previous matches,” Pasuwa explained, hinting at rotation across the two encounters.
Lesotho, meanwhile, arrive in patchy form with only one win in their last six matches, including losses to Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Benin, and Nigeria. Their lone victory came against Zimbabwe, a reminder that they can still rise to the occasion.
Malawi’s recent form offers cautious optimism. The Flames have beaten Namibia and Equatorial Guinea in their last five outings, but defeats to São Tomé and Príncipe and Botswana underscore ongoing inconsistency.
For Pasuwa and his team, these games are about more than rankings or warm-up drills. They are about rewriting a stubborn record, restoring belief, and sending a message that the Flames are ready to rise again.
