Kalisto Pasuwa and Peter Mponda
* The local based players are expected to regroup in Lilongwe over the weekend and leave for Côte d’Ivoire
* While the foreign based players will travel direct to Abidjan from their respective bases
By Duncan Mlanjira
Alongside his assistant coaches, Peter Mponda and Prichard Mwansa, Malawi Flames’ interim head coach Kalisto Pasuwa has named his 25-man squad for the last ceremonial Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) 2025 qualifiers against Burundi and Burkina Faso to be played next week.
The Flames will face Burundi away at neutral venue in Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, November 14, before closing their campaign with a home match against Burkina Faso at home, the Bingu National Stadium on Monday, November 18.
An announcement by Football Association of Malawi, says Pasuwa, who was appointed caretaker coach following the dismissal of Patrick Mabedi, has among others, recalled South Africa-based striker Gabadinho Mhango and defender Charles Petro who plays in Romania.
Gabadinho Mhango
The local based players are expected to regroup in Lilongwe over the weekend and leave for Côte d’Ivoire while the foreign based players will travel direct to Abidjan from their respective bases.
The full squad has:
* Goalkeepers: William Thole (Mighty Wanderers), George Chikooka (Silver Strikers) and Richard Chimbamba (Nyasa Big Bullets);
* Defenders: McDonald Lameck, Maxwell Paipi, Nickson Mwase (all Silver Strikers), Gomezgani Chirwa, Nickson Nyasulu, Alick Lungu (Nyasa Big Bullets), Dennis Chembezi (Al Qasim SC-Iraq), Charles Petro (FC Botosani-Romania), Timothy Silwimba (Mighty Wanderers);
* Midfielders: John Banda (UD Songo-Mozambique), Yankho Singo, Lloyd Aaron (Nyasa Big Bullets), Lanjesi Nkhoma, Patrick Mwaungulu (Don Bosco-DRC), Chawanangwa Kaonga (Zanaco FC-Zambia), Wisdom Mpinganjira (Mighty Wanderers) and Zebron Kalima (Silver Strikers); and
* Strikers: Gabadinho Mhango (Marumo Gallants-South Africa), Gadi Chirwa (Mighty Wanderers), Zeliat Nkhoma (Kamuzu Barracks), Richard Mbulu, Lloyd Njaliwa (Costa Do Sol-Mozambique).
Pasuwa’s technical panel include his assistants Silver Strikers’ mentor Mponda as 1st, MAFCO’s coach Mwansa (2nd), James Chilapondwa (team manager), Simplex Nthala (goalkeeper trainer), Peter Mgangira (fitness trainer), Taonga Chimodzi (video analyst), Levison Mwale (team doctor), Dexter Kill (physiotherapist) and Richard Justin (equipment manager).
His technical advisors are former coaches, Kinnah Phiri and Young Chimodzi, who took the team to the AfCON Angola 2010.
Kinnah Phiri
Young Chimodzi with late Jack Chamangwana at 2010 AFCON
The two remaining AfCON 2025 assignments against Burkina Faso and Burundi are just ceremonial matches and both the opponents will certainly make sure they keep their clean sheet against the Flames having beat the Flames in both their matches.
Burundi won 3-1 at Bingu National Stadium before Burkina Faso triumphed 3-1 at their home pitch while Senegal won 4-0 at home and 1-0 in Lilongwe in back-to-back — leaving Senegal and Burkina Faso qualifying for the finals in Morocco.
The replacement of coach Mabedi is to try as much as possible to salvage some pride in winning the remaining fixtures as FAM is engaging with Ministry of Sports through the Malawi National Council of Sports to commence immediate recruitment of the team’s permanent coach.
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The permanent coach is to steer the team in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiersagainst Namibia followed by away to Tunisia — both in March 2025 before meeting Namibia again away and Liberia at home — both in September.
Then in October, the Flames will host Equatorial Guinea before traveling to confront São Tomé e Principe, whom they beat 3-1 at Bingu National Stadium in June’s Matchday 3 before losing 0-1 in Matchday 4 away to Equatoguineans — thus the need to recruit a permanent coach ahead of the games.
The Flames won 1-0 in their opening campaign away to Liberia, losing 0-1 at home against Tunisia to perch on 4th place in Group H in the race for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ to be hosted jointly by the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
Mabedi’s record in AfCON 2025 (above) and FIFA World Cup 2026
The 23rd edition finals will have 48 participating countries instead of the conventional 32 giving an advantage for Africa to field more teams and the top team from each of the nine groups after Match Day 10 shall earn an automatic qualification.
The four best second-placed and top ranked teams from all nine groups will engage in a continental playoff, determining a single victor who will then proceed to a second and final playoff.
This final stage will comprise six teams from various confederations, with the top two emerging as qualified participants, ultimately making up the 48 competing teams.
There was some mixed reactions over the firing of coach Patrick Mabedi by FAM with many welcoming the move following the Flames poor showing in both AfCON 2024 qualifiers as well as the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Many expressed their satisfaction over the firing of Mabedi, others had reservations, with Peter Austin commenting on Facebook that “the problem was not Mabedi — we have low quality players as Mabedi put it, we will sing the same song bringing anyone else.”
Chisomo Mwale agreed saying even if FAM was to appoint Jose Mourinho as an expatriate coach, “our football will be as it is”, adding that the team hadn’t had proper transition from some of the recent great players who retired.
Johnson Kamanga stressed that the problem is not about the coach and also even if FAM was to employ Frenchman Zinedine Zidane or Pep Guardiola nothing positive can happen: We don’t have top notch players.
“We don’t have [national team players from the levels of U-14, U-17 or U-20] yet we expect best results from the senior national team. We joke a lot, we always look for shortcuts.”
Others hinted that they are now waiting to see whether the problem was the coach, the players or FAM itself, with Henry Kayira describing FAM’s decision as bad, saying: “We will keep moving in circles. We are impatient when it comes to local coaches.”
Memory Kamanga added voice that the team “is very very sick and needs a great physician. The coach has suffered the consequences of being in a sick team. Any coming coach from wherever he will come from, will suffer the same consequences of a sick team.”
She hinted that Malawian players are only good at local football, giving an example of Nyasa Big Bullets, who have dominated the domestic league, winning the title for six times back-to-back.
“Bullets are always on top of the Super league, so do Silver Strikers while the rest of the teams just follow. On local level, goals are scored but on international tournaments, they struggle to even score goals,” she analysed.
Cassim Manda Mkombozi was of the opinion that “working in public service requires setting aside personal grudges and prioritising the people’s interests over one’s own”.
“A notable example is the incident involving Gabadinho Mhango missing his flight, prompting FAM to make arrangements for his participation. However, Mabedi rejected the proposal, leading to Gaba’s absence and our subsequent loss.
“Reflecting on Mabedi’s coaching tenure, I observed his unnecessary conflicts with experienced players and self-centered approach ultimately led to his downfall and FAM’s decision to terminate his contract, a regrettable outcome.
While thanking Mabedi “for good memories during COSAFA games”, one observed that “football is a game of positive results and positive results determine the duration of a contract”, with Sydney Kacherenga emphasising that it was expected that Mabedi should be fired after been beaten by Senegal back-to-back — 4-0 away and 1-0 at home in under four days in the AfCON qualifiers.
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