Injuries hit Malawi ahead of Lesotho rematch

Malawi head into their rematch against Lesotho in South Africa on Tuesday with a depleted squad due to injuries.

The Flames will face the Likuena again after having huffed and puffed to a 0-0 draw in the initial strength-testing match at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Ahead of the second game, Malawi coach Kalisto Pasuwa has given a worrying update on his squad’s health, citing injuries and withdrawals due to club commitments.

The hardest hit department for the Flames is the defence with Charles Petro, Emmanuel Nyirenda and Nickson Nyasulu ruled out due to injuries ranging from groin, muscle to knee issues.

To make matters worse, second-choice keeper George Chikooka is reportedly ill while Zambia-based forward Chifundo Mphasi has rejoined Power Dynamos on a trip to Morocco for a CAF Confederation Cup assignment.

With such absentees, Pasuwa admitted that he might be forced to tamper with his starting XI and throw into action fringe players.

“All the other guys are ready. The changes can be there due to the injuries with the inclusion of some of the guys. But it is not a wholesale change. We might be having those in defence, maybe changing one or two and also in midfield to have cohesion and see how best we can tackle our opponents,” the Zimbabwean explained.

Why injuries are blessing in disguise for some Malawi players

The injuries might be a blessing in disguise for benchwarmers such as Congolese and Ivory Coast-born strikers Mayele Malango and Yann Kouakou, who were not in the starting line-up for Saturday’s friendly. Pasuwa featured Gabadinho Mhango and Nigerian-born Babatunde Adepoju upfront in that game.

All eyes are also on whether in-form Silver Strikers midfielder Uchizi Vunga and defender Blessings Mpokera of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, will get a run.

Pasuwa wants to use the friendlies to test new players and combinations drawing lessons from a disjointed outing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Zimbabwean, who is yet to translate his success at FCB Big Bullets in the national team, added that he was also targeting good results to help improve on the FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings.

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