As we’re! Malawi booted out of Cosafa Castle Cup by Lesotho
Malawi national football team, the Flames, proved too strong for Lesotho but a 83 minutes goal from Jane Thaba Ntso was enough to send the Flames packing in the 2016 Cosafa Castle Cup match played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Thursday evening.
Lesotho have now set up a quarterfinal meeting with South Africa.
Needing to win by any goal margin, the Flames had the perfect start to the match, when three minutes into the kick-off, Gerald Phiri’s free-kick was spilled out for a corner by Daniel Jousse.
The Flames continued to create chances, with strike partners Chiukepo Msowoya and Gabadihno Mhango failing to connect home with headed efforts.
Msowoya, who was substituted for Muhammad Sulumba continued to miss clear chances that were falling his way, misfiring on a low cross from Isaac Kaliati.
In the 17th minute, Lesotho’s striker Thaba-Ntso’s blistering shot from the edge of the box was palmed away by Charles Swini to the relief of coach Ernest Mtawali, who watched the match standing on the touchline.
On the other end, Flames defender Harry Nyirenda launches an attack in the 27th minute but Lesotho through Basia Makepe cleared it in the danger zone.
The tempo of the game changed in the 35th minute when flow of the traffic was largely been going Malawi’s way with Lesotho relying on counter raids.
The Flames substituted Msowoya for Muhammad Sulumba but there was no much change from the Nyasa Big Bullets forward man.
The two teams were deadlocked at 0-0 on recess time.
In this half, the Flames were first to launch an attack through Mhango, whose attempt volley on the turn went wide.
In the 58 minutes, Kamwendo sent a looping cross which ended up in the legs of Tseka for Lesotho before Ernest Mtawali made another change bringing in John Banda for Isaac Kaliati.
Be Forward Wanderers vastly experienced striker Peter Wadabwa was also brought in for Gerald Phiri jnr but Lesotho frustrated the Flames as they parked the bus knowing a draw was enough to sail them through into the quarter finals.
After sitting back for much of the game, Lesotho had the killer-blow for Malawi in the 84th minute .
A perfect cross from second-half substitute Thabo Seakhoa was headed in at the back post by Thaba-Ntso to break Malawi hearts.
Desperate Flames tried to venture forward to try and set up an attack but the damage was already done and the game ended 1-0 in favour of Lesotho sending the Flames back to Lilongwe.
Malawi: Swini; Sanudi, Gabeya, Nyirenda, Mlimbika – Gerald Phiri (Wadabwa 76′) Jnr, Kaliati (Banda 61′), Namwera, Kamwendo – Mhango, Msowoya (Sulumba 41′)
Lesotho: Jousse; Moremoholo,Makepe,Tseka,Kamela – Khutlang (Seakhoa 57′), Kalake, Mahula, Thaba-Ntso – Seturumane (Motebang 54′), Potloane (Mkhwanazi 77′)
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Bad luck Flames try next time but need to prepare and work hard. AS it is need to look for new ways of playing to cope up with other countries. Those days(70s,80s countries like Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana were nothing to Flames and we could beat them very easily but now the Flames of today is failing to beat these teams, what is wrong with our football. You can see clearly that Malawian football has collapsed, something serious need to be done to change this scenario. Is it the players or the coach, who is to blame????