Transitions from defence to attack were slow in Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Burundi—Pasuwa

* They defended well and we had some chances from that that we felt that we would have carried the day

* Maybe it was because we did not have much time to train together. We will have to see when we get back home

* And to everyone else who is in the house that, with this result, maybe we can raise up our heads and soldier on

By Duncan Mlanjira

The Flames are back from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire ahead of Monday’s ceremonial Africa Cup of Nations AfCON Morocco 2025 against Burkina Faso at Bingu National Stadium having drawn 0-0 under interim coach, Kalisto Pasuwa, who still praised his charges for displaying positive attitude despite the result.

This was the team’s first point and clean sheet in the campaign as going into the match the Flames — under coach Patrick Mabedi, who has since been fired — were already out of contention having first lost 2-3 to Burundi; 1-3 to Burkina Faso and back-to-back 0-4 and 0-1 losses against Senegal away and at home turf Bingu National Stadium respectively.

Pasuwa was appointed in the interim alongside Silver Strikers’ mentor Peter Mponda as 1st assistant and MAFCO’s Prichard Mwansa as the 2nd.

Though goalless, Pasuwa told Fam.mw that the result will help bring back the confidence to the boys ahead of the last match against Burkina Faso, saying: “0-0 is a good result to us considering the fact that we did not train with most of the boys.

“And what we wanted was to be solid when we are without the ball. Then at times we would catch the opponents, and they did well. They defended well and we had some chances from that that we felt that we would have carried the day.

“But, unfortunately, we couldn’t — but a good result for a start. In the first half, we saw it also on our side that we had problems of set pieces but then the boys stood tall and we managed to be on toes with them.

“And they also tried to hit us on the sides, which we know the boys on the right side played well and they tried to close them down. But it was transitions from defense to attack which were slow.

“Maybe it was because we did not have much time to train together. We will have to see when we get back home,” he told Fam.mw while emphasising that the result brings confidence to those who played.

“And to everyone else who is in the house that, with this result, maybe we can raise up our heads and soldier on.”

The team, led by interim head coach, Kalisto Pasuwa and his deputies Peter Mponda and Prichard Mwansa, started with William Thole in goals and six foreign-based players; defenders Charles Petro (FC Botosani-Romania), Dennis Chembezi (Al Qasim SC-Iraq); midfielders & captain John Banda (UD Songo, Mozambique), Lanjesi Nkhoma (Don Bosco-DRC) and strikers Richard Mbulu (Costa Do Sol-Mozambique) & Gabadinho Mhango (Marumo Gallants-South Africa).

They were alongside domestic league players, defenders McDonald Lameck (Silver Strikers), Alick Lungu, Yankho Singo (Nyasa Big Bullets), and Gaddi Chirwa (Mighty Wanderers) all throughout the first half, which — according to updates posted on FAM Facebook page — seemed they were dominating play.

Substitutions only came in the second half, first in the 61st minute, when Pasuwa and company made a triple substitution — taking out Yankho Singo, Richard Mbulu and Gaddi Chirwa to pave way for Chawanangwa Kaonga (Zanaco FC-Zambia), Lloyd Njaliwa (Costa Do Sol-Mozambique) and Lloyd Aaron (Nyasa Big Bullets).

After not earning any results from the changes, Pasuwa made a double substitution in the 71st throwing in Gomezgani Chirwa (Nyasa Big Bullets) and Wisdom Mpinganjira (Mighty Wanderers) for McDonald Lameck and Lanjesi Nkhoma.

Pasuwa and his technical team has been tasked of building confidence in the team as FAM works out on getting a replacement coach of the fired Patrick Mabedi to take the Flames through the remaining FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers scheduled for next year.

They are grouped alongside Tunisia, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé e Principe and the next qualifying match days are in March 2025 up against Namibia followed by an away fixture to Tunisia before meeting Namibia again away and Liberia at home — both in September 2025.

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.

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.

The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup 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.