* Defeat comes six days after being beaten 3-2 by Burundi, who were beaten 1-0 by Senegal on Monday
* Senegal and Burkina Faso share four points having drawn 1-1 in their opening match while Burundi are 3rd
By Duncan Mlanjira
Burkina Faso have taken the lead of Group L, edging ahead of Senegal on goal difference after whipping Malawi 3-1, leaving the Flames in an impossible chance of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025.
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The Flames defeat comes six days after being beaten 3-2 by Burundi, who were beaten 1-0 by Senegal after the Lions of Teranga had drawn 1-1 in their opening with Burkina Faso.
Thus Burundi are third in the group with three points with the point-less Flames at the bottom ahead of their back-to-back assignments with the Teranga Lions next month, starting away.
After the back-to-back assignments against Senegal, the Flames will be hosted by Burundi in the return match before winding up the campaign at home against Burkina Faso between November 11-19.
The two top teams in the group will qualify for the AFCON Morocco 2025 next year, to be played be played from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026 — as opposed to the usual period of January-February.
Mistakes cost the Flames to lose to Burundi at Bingu National Stadium on Thursday and another was also costly at the back that forced goalkeeper Chikooka to go outside the box in trying to clear the ball but he missed it for Shakhtar Donetsk striker Franck Traore to slot it into the empty goal.
This was three minutes after Traore had sent Burkina Faso ahead with a low header and 22 minutes later (59′), Lawrence Chaziya handled the ball in the box for Hassan Bandè to score from the spot after being awarded a penalty.
The Flames consolation goal came from Zeliat Nkhoma that was scored 11 minutes to full time.
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A report by CAFonline, indicates that Burundi, whom Malawians believed the Flames should have beaten being playing at home, were a well-organised side as Senegal managed to clinch the win thanks to a second-half penalty from Ismaïla Sarr.
The report said Burundi began the game strongly, applying pressure in the opening minutes, but Senegal soon found their rhythm as their targetman, Sadio Mané and his teammates dominated possession.
They recorded 21 shots compared to Burundi’s two but despite their control, the 2021 AfCON champions are reported to have struggled to break down the resilient Burundian defence, with several efforts going wide or being blocked.
The decisive moment came in the 71st minute when Sadio Mané was fouled in the box by a high foot from a Burundian defender, which Ismaïla Sarr stepped up and confidently slotted home.
Elsewhere, Zambia defeated Sierra Leone 3-2 in a thrilling encounter in Ndola in their Group G clash for the Chipolopolo to bounce back after being defeated by Côte d’Ivoire 2-0 in their opening match.
The vital win marks Zambia’s first of the qualifying campaign, lifting them to second place while Côte d’Ivoire lead with six points having beaten Chad 2-0 after a stellar performance from Jean-Philippe Krasso and Oumar Diakité.
Benin redeemed themselves with a 2-1 win over Libya after a 3-0 loss to Nigeria and the victory pushes them into second place, trailing Nigeria by just one point. The Super Eagles were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Rwanda in Kigali.
Mali and Mozambique both earned crucial victories yesterday and taking the top two spots in Group I after Mali claimed a 1-0 away win against eSwatini in South Africa.
It was their first win under new coach Tom Sainfiet, the former Flames mentor after a 1-1 draw at home to Mozambique in their opening game and their next test will be a double-header against Mozambique in October.
Mozambique secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Guinea-Bissau and will look to consolidate their positions when they meet Mali.—Other matches results by CAFonline
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