By Santos Zefania

Lilongwe, 3 May, Mana: The Malawi National football team, the Flames, doused South Africa in a baptism of fire by defeating the Bafana Bafana in the CHAN Nations Championship held on Saturday at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in Lilongwe.

Speaking after the encounter, President for Football of Malawi, Fleetwood Haiya, expressed gratitude following the stunning Flames performance and highlighted his excitement over the victory, thanks to Kamuzu Barracks striker Zeliat Nkhoma.

"I have had the pleasure of visiting the camp to fire them ahead of a crucial encounter to gear up; however, they have shown standard levels of excellence," said Haiya.

In extension, the lone goal came in the eleventh, 3 minutes before the last whistle, from Zeliat Nkhoma connecting a towering header from a corner delivered by Wisdom Mpinganjira to secure a 1-0 home advantage win over Bafana Bafana at Bingu National Stadium stadium BNS.

Furthermore, the Flames gaffer Kalisto Pasuwa hailed the team's commitment and hard work.

"Winning today has given us confidence when stepping into the second leg. What we needed was a draw, but another win would have been far better. We have seen a few more problems that are supposed to be reshaped when we go back to the drawing board. All supporters who came to cheer us deserve credit," said Pasuwa.

Over and above that, the visiting team tried to pull the strings, but their effort laboured in vain. Malawi and South Africa will meet again in the return leg on May 11, 2025, at Loftus Stadium in South Africa. The winner between them will qualify for another level of the tournament.

The Flames needed a draw in South Africa to secure their spot in the final tournament, expected to be hosted in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, scheduled from 2-30 August 2025.