Assistant coach assures of that Flames ready to redeem themselves against Namibia  this afternoon

* Kicking off 15h00 at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium to be streamed live on FIFA+ with defending champions Angola taking on Lesotho from 12h00 in the other Group B match

* We know where we failed against Lesotho — we had our video session and analysed the game thoroughly

* One thing we picked up clearly was our lack of presence in the box — we simply didn’t have enough bodies there

Maravi Express

Assistant coach, Peter Mponda assures Malawian fans that the Flames are ready to redeem themselves when they face Namibia in their second COSAFA Cup 2025 Group B match this afternoon at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium — kicking off 15h00 and to be streamed live on FIFA+.

The assurance comes after the Flames disappointed on Thursday by losing 0-1 to Lesotho in their opening match after conceding in the dying minutes — but Mponda believes the team learned valuable lessons from that bitter loss and is determined to bounce back against the Brave Warriors of Namibia.

“We are prepared for this second game,” he is quoted as saying by Fam.mw. “We know where we failed against Lesotho.

“We had our video session and analysed the game thoroughly. One thing we picked up clearly was our lack of presence in the box — we simply didn’t have enough bodies there.”

In that game, the Flames dominated possession of the ball, especially just knocking the ball amongst each other in midfield and Mponda says: “In football, dominating possession doesn’t win you games — you need to get into the box and score goals. We’ve spoken to the boys and are finalising our tactical adjustments on the pitch.”

Namibia, meanwhile, come into the clash on the back of a six-match unbeaten run, though five of those have ended in draws. Their only win in that stretch came against Malawi during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers in Lilongwe.

Mponda admits that result still stings but insists the Flames are better prepared this time around: “It’s the same story even in Lilongwe — we dominated possession, and they scored.

“But we’ve taken time to analyse that game as well. Namibia are a very good team, and most of their current squad featured in that match. But we’re not using that as an excuse — we know what we’re doing, and we trust the players we brought here.”

Maxwell Paipi, faces a late fitness test after limping out of the game against Lesotho and Mponda said yesterday that they are waiting for confirmation from the medical team: “But we’ve got capable replacements — the players who came in after Paipi’s injury did a good job.

“We’re using this tournament to give exposure to many players. If we were only chasing results, we could have brought in our top names — but our goal is to build a strong and experienced squad ahead of the AfCON and World Cup qualifiers.”

Malawi sit 4th in Group B and a win this would significantly improve their chances of progressing to the knockout stages if they would go on to beat Angola in the second match on Tuesday.

Angola, who were held 1-1 by Namibia in their opening game, continue the defence of their title when they face Lesotho at the same Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium (12h00 CAT).

Another victory for Lesotho will see Palancas Negras eliminated, so the minimum they need is a draw. Angola have met Lesotho more than any other team in the competition, with this being their 9th clash — lead the head-to-head 5-2 with one draw from the previous eight games.

Meanwhile, COSAFA Cup 2025 hosts South Africa salvages hopes of reaching semis after beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in Group A played yesterday — the first time they have defeated their old foes in the competition.

Mozambique, who beat South Africa in the opening game on Wednesday, played out a 0-0 draw with Mauritius, the team that drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe.

South Africa’s Kabelo Dlamini converted a first half penalty, while Ime Okon headed in a second goal near the end to make sure of the points. The hosts wasted numerous other opportunities to score, but will be pleased with the win and the clean sheet.

COSAFA Media reports that it was another solid display from Mauritius following their 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe that leaves them still in contention for a semifinal place going into the final round of fixtures — against South Africa on Tuesday.

Mozambique head the Group A table with four points from two games ahead of their final fixture against Zimbabwe, followed by South Africa (3 points), Mauritius (2) and Zimbabwe (1) — all teams remain in contention for the semifinals.

In the three-team Group C, Madagascar opened with a 1-0 win over guest nation Tanzania also played yesterday — leaving the east Africans on the back foot in the pool and must beat eSwatini in their next game, and hope the latter defeat the Malagasy to stand a chance of reaching the semifinals.—Content by Fam.mw & COSAFA Media; edited by Maravi Express