World Cup (Q): Sao Tome and Principe stun Malawi

Minnows Sao Tome and Principe registered their first win from ten attempts on Monday in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying after stunning Malawi 1-0 in Tunisia.

Having beaten the Falcons and True Parrots 3-1 in Lilongwe in the first leg, much was expected from the Flames in this Group H game. However, it was the hosts who wound up their World Cup qualifying race on a high although still lying bottom.

Ronald Afonso’s 62^nd minute goal from the penalty spot, awarded after a foul, ended Malawi’s campaign on a negative note.  The Flames finished in fifth place with 10 points and could make it to 13 points if awarded points from an aborted match against Equatorial Guinea.

However, with Namibia and Liberia finishing on 15 points, Pasuwa’s charges are down and out of the race even though they had a chance to salvage something from Monday’s game following the Brave Warriors 3-0 loss to Tunisia and a 1-1 draw between the Liberia and Equatorial Guinea in other matches from Group H.

For Sao Tome, it is their first competitive victory since a 1-0 result over Mauritius in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. Their last three victories came against Mauritius, with their last victory against another team coming in 2016 against Libya during 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

What went wrong for Malawi?

The absence of suspended skipper Gabadinho Mhango and needless wholesale tampering with the starting XI that had five changes, including Nigerian-born striker Babatunde Adepoju, cost Malawi.

The hosts were smarting from a 6-0 hammering by group leaders Tunisia while Malawi did not play on Thursday as scheduled due to Equatorial Guinea’s no-show in Lilongwe.

2026 World Cup Qualifying: Final Group H Table

1. Tunisia- 28 points
2. Namibia- 15 points
3. Liberia- 15 points
4. Malawi- 13 points
5. Equatorial Guinea- 11 points
6. Sao Tome and Principe- 3 points