The Flames are 180 minutes away from a historic maiden Nations African Championship qualification and only Mambas of Mozambique stand in their way.

And the Mario Marinica coached side must get a win when they host the Mambas in the first leg of the 2023 Nations of African Championship (Chan) second round qualifier at Bingu National Stadium this afternoon.

A comfortable win this afternoon will put the Flames in a driving seat to make it to the finals in Algeria ahead of a reverse fixture in Maputo next week.

Heading into this afternoon’s match, both teams have assembled a galaxy of stars playing in their respective domestic leagues.

Flames coach Marian Mario Marinica said he expects a tough match but said his players will rise to the occasion to get a positive result.

“We are looking forward to the game and we think we can get something positive.We hope the players will rise to occasion and prove that they can withstand the heat at the high level.

“Mozambique have a very good team and they play a passing game. But we have good chances to beat them,” Marinica said.

Captain Stanley Sanudi said the players were geared for the battle.

“We will do everything to win the game.  We know they will come hard on us but we will stop them,” Sanudi said.

The Flames have never qualified for the finals of Chan. 

Malawi reached the second round after benefiting from Zimbabwe’s Fifa ban whereas Mozambique eliminated Zambia following a 1-0 victory on aggregate.