By Happy Milanzie
September 5, Lilongwe, Mana: Malawi’s national team faced a tough start to their 2025 African Cup qualifiers, losing 3-2 to Burundi at Bingu National Stadium on Thursday.
Despite dominating both halves, Malawi could not secure a win in their first qualifier match. Head Coach Patrick Mabedi expressed his disappointment, noting that the team’s poor coordination in defense led to the defeat.
“The game was 80 percent in our favor, but we struggled to clear the ball out of the box, allowing Burundi to score twice in the first half and once in the second. This undermined our players’ efforts,” Mabedi said.
He also mentioned that the limited preparation time hindered the team’s performance.
“We needed more time for our players to get along during training to avoid the mistakes we saw today,” he added.
Looking ahead, Mabedi is optimistic about their next game against Burkina Faso on the 26th in Bamako, Mali.
Burundi’s coach, Nda Yiragije Etienne, acknowledged that while his team did not play their best, they capitalized on Malawi’s mistakes.
“Football is a game of mistakes, and we managed to get three points because our opponents made errors in both halves,” he said.
The match saw Chimwemwe Idana score an own goal 23 minutes in, followed by Chawanangwa Kaonga’s equalizer at 31 minutes. Jean Claude then put Burundi ahead at 34 minutes, making it 2-1 by halftime.
Lanjesi Nkhoma scored for Malawi at 75 minutes, but Manoko Eldhino sealed the win for Burundi with a goal at 87 minutes, ending the game 3-2.
