
Silver Strikers, team of the moment
* Six foreign-based players include goalkeeper Brighton Munthali (Black Leopards, SA); defender Denis Chembezi of Iraq’s Al-Qasim SC
* And Mozambique-based captain John Banda and Zambia-based trio of Chifundo Mphasi, Chawanangwa Kaonga and Robert Saizi
* Against São Tomé e Principe at Bingu National Stadium on Thursday, June 6 and Equatorial Guinea away in Malabo on Monday, June 10
By Duncan Mlanjira
Flames coach Patrick Mabedi can’t afford to recognise the high performances of Peter Mponda-coached Silver Strikers’ players as he has called nine of them in his 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers against São Tomé e Principe at Bingu National Stadium on Thursday, June 6 and Equatorial Guinea away in Malabo on Monday, June 10.

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The players are goalkeeper George Chikooka, who holds five clean sheets in the nine TNM Super League 2024 title race matches, as well as Maxwell Paipi, Tatenda M’balaka, McDonald Lameck, Nickson John Mwase in defence and Chimwemwe Idana, Patrick Macheso, Uchizi Vunga and Chikondi Kamanga in midfield.

Goalkeeper George Chikooka was named Man of the Match yesterday
Nyasa Big Bullets, who recorded their first defeat of the season at the hands of unbeaten Silver Strikers yesterday, have contributed five — goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu, defender Precious Sambani and midfielders Lanjesi Nkhoma, Lloyd Aaron and Patrick Mwaungulu.
Mighty Wanderers have defenders Stanley Sanudi, Lawrence Chaiya midfielders Blessings Singini, Wisdom Mpinganjira and missing in the usual call up for strikers are Gaddie Chirwa and Christopher Kumwembe.
Kumwembe, who netted his team’s first goal in their 3-1 triumph over Dedza Dynamos on Saturday picked up an injury.
Other players in Mabedi’s squad are goalkeepers Brighton Munthali (Black Leopards, South Africa) and Innocent Nyasulu (Nyasa Big Bullets); defenders Chembezi Denis (Al-Qasim SC, Iraq) and Precious Sambani (Nyasa Big Bullets); midfielders John Banda (UD Songo, Mozambique), Lanjesi Nkhoma, Lloyd Aaron, Patrick Mwaungulu (Nyasa Big Bullets), Robert Saizi (ZANACO, Zambia); and strikers Henry Mwayi Kumwenda (Butler Men’s Soccer, USA), Zeliat Nkhoma (Kamuzu Barracks), Chawanangwa Kaonga (ZANACO), Chifundo Mphasi (Kabwe Warriors, Zambia).
The Flames, São Tomé e Principe and Equatorial Guinea are Group H of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers alongside Tunisia, Namibia and Liberia
Tunisia, who won their Marchday 1 & 2 matches against São Tomé e Principe (4-0) and 1-0 away win against the Flames at Bingu, lead the group.
They had tied at six points with Equatorial Guinea but FIFA have forfeited the two wins Equatorial Guinea had against Namibia 1-0 and Liberia also 1-0 for fielding star player Emilio Nsue whom the world football governing body had already declared as ineligible to play in its international-sanctioned matches.
The decision drops Equatorial Guinea at the bottom of Group H in which they had been tied on six points with group leaders Tunisia at six points apiece. Together with São Tomé e Principe, the have been recorded as having no goals in their two games and without a point.
Namibia and Tunisia share six points apiece and both have same goal difference of five while Liberia and Malawi Flames also tie on three points but are now 3rd and 4th respectively as they are separated by goal difference.
This is the second FIFA disciplinary case involving Nsue’s eligibility that comes 11 years after the first and adds to a series of ineligible player cases involving Equatorial Guinea national teams.
The latest ruling against Nsue was announced just four months after he was the top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023, where he was permitted to play by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Nsue
The ruling writes another chapter in an increasingly bizarre international career for the 34-year-old Nsue, who was born in Spain and has played for clubs in England, Cyprus and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He played briefly in the Premier League for Middlesbrough in the 2016-17 season and in 2013, FIFA did not specify why Nsue, then playing in Spain for Mallorca, was ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea in qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
FIFA rules allow players to claim national eligibility if they or a parent or grandparent were born on a territory, or in some cases when a player has been resident for at least five years.
On Friday, FIFA also did not specify the breach of eligibility rules but said its judges were “comfortably satisfied that the player was ineligible” — as reported by Associated Press last week
FIFA has jurisdiction over the World Cup but not continental competitions like the CAF AFCON where Nsue scored five goals in January during the group stages, including two in a stunning 4-0 win over hosts Côte d’Ivoire but were eliminated in the Round of 16.
CAF included Nsue in its Best XI of the tournament in February and said with his Golden Boot award he joined a list of elite goal scorers including Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba who got the honor in their careers.
FIFA fined the Equatorial Guinea soccer federation 150,000 Swiss francs (US$164,000) and banned Nsue from playing for any national team for six months.
Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea date Tunisia on Wednesday, June 5 in Rades before meeting Malawi for the Matchday 3 & 4.
As the Flames host São Tomé e Principe on Thursday, June 6, Namibia will meet Liberia on neutral venue in Johannesburg, South Africa while on Sunday, June 9, São Tomé e Principe will face Liberia on a neutral venue in Oudja, Morocco as Namibia host Tunisia again in Johannesburg.
The qualifying matches started in November and the next qualifying matchdays will be in 2025 (March, September, October and November).
To be hosted jointly by the United States of America, Mexico and Canada, the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ is through a complex qualification as the finals will have 48 participating countries instead of the conventional 32 giving an advantage for Africa to field more teams.
The top team from each group after Match Day 10 shall earn an automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals and additionally, the four best second-placed 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.

São Tomé
Meanwhile, tickets for the game against São Tomé are available in various outlets with Lilongwe at filling stations of City Centre PUMA, Likuni Discount Shop by Likuni Energem, Maula PUMA, Kafoteka, Kawale Energem, Area 23 PUMA & Walkers Total.
Others are at Area 25 Chipiku, Area 18 Red & White meat butchery, Acres Gateway Mall, R.K. Shop opposite BNS and at BNS’ Corporate Box 18.
In Blantyre, they are available at filling stations of Limbe Market Total, Ndirande Energem, Blantyre Haile Selassie Total and Kameza PUMA while Mzuzu is at Katoto PUMA.
Standard ticket is at K4,000 advance & K5,000 on match day, VIP at K20,000, Corporate Box at K30,000 while car pass is at K500.
São Tomé are ranked 188 as of April’s FIFA Rankings while the Flames are at 125 with the Green & Yellows’ highest FIFA ranking at 115 in 2022 and Malawi at 53 in 1992.
In February and March, South Sudan edged out São Tomé in the preliminary round of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 after 1-1 result from both legs with South Sudan qualifying for the next round through an away goal rule.

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