Edu Salvado really troubled the Flames
* Three at home against fellow COSAFA member, Namibia and Equatorial Guinea and Liberia
* With the other three away against São Tomé e Principe, leaders Tunisia and 2nd-placed Namibia
* As Equatorial Guinea proved it true that they are rock-solid on home soil by beating Flames yesterday
By Duncan Mlanjira
There are still six more games to be played for the Flames’ FIFA World Cup 2026™Group H qualifiers with three at home — against fellow COSAFA member, Namibia and Equatorial Guinea and Liberia — with the other three away against São Tomé e Principe, Tunisia and Namibia.
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This follows the completion of Matchday 3 & 4 in which Tunisia lead the group with 10 points from three wins — against São Tomé, Malawi, Equatorial Guinea and a 0-0 draw against Namibia.
The Brave Warriors of Namibia, who also beat São Tomé in Match Day 1, are second with 8 points from two draws and an extra win at 3-0 they earned after FIFA awarded them the 0-1 loss they suffered against Equatorial Guinea.
This was after the Equatoguineans had played an ineligible Emilio Nsue against the Namibians as well as against Liberia, who were also awarded three points at 3-0 win.
That puts Liberia at position 3 on the table of two wins, one draw and 1-0 loss they suffered at the hands of the Flames at their home turf in Monrovia on Matchday 1 last November.
Following their bitter loss, with the winning goal scored in the dying minutes (81st), the Flames are at unenviable 4th with six points but anything can happen in the remaining games in which they need to win all six of them.
As a recap, only the leaders of each of the nine groups will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ finals to be jointly hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada, while 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.
Ahead of the match at Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, pundits observed that Equatorial Guinea are known to be rock-solid on home soil and indeed they were yesterday as they completely controlled ball possession.
Before the encounter, the Equatoguineas had won each of their last eight competitive home matches since 2019 and were expected to be looking to extend the impressive run — and they showed that tenacity right from the start.
Flames kept losing ball possessions needlessly and it was goalkeeper George Chikooka who kept them in the match and the goal he conceded was from a beautiful set piece by Coco Bassey in the 81st minute.
He had earlier taken another in the 66th and the shot went above the cross bar and for the next, just 15 minutes later, he pretended to shoot at goal but he just laid it perfectly in front of the packed box which was welcomed by a rushing Edu Salvador, who hit it hard beating Chikopa who had stretched as much as he could.
Chikooka’s alertness started as early as the 3rd minute when Equatorial Guinea had their first attack of the match but the Silver Strikers goalkeeper, who has five clean sheets in the TNM Super League 2024, cleared it away for a corner kick.
He was called again to save the situation four minutes later with another brilliant stop after Edu Salvador attacked just outside the 18-yard box.
In the 20th, Chikooka once again had to make another save as he easily caught Mba Obiang’s shot as the hosts proved tough to be plied open as they moved in masses to attack and to defend.
Henri Kumwenda
At the beginning of the second half, coach Patrick Mabedi made a double substitution by introducing Wisdom Mpinganjira and Chifundo Mphasi for Patrick Mwaungulu and US-based Henri Kumwenda, who had been ineffective but it never changed the complexion of the game.
Mabedi made further changes in the 61st minute bringing in John Banda and McDonald Lameck for Lanjesi Nkhoma and Chawanangwa Kaonga and 20 minutes later, thats when Equatorial Guinea scored the all-important goal which they guarded for jealously till the final whistle.