Mukuru Four Nations Tournament: Botswana edge Malawi for third place

The Malawi national team will return from the Mukuru Four Nations Tournament virtually empty-handed—without scoring a goal let alone registering a win after losing 1-0 to hosts Botswana in a third-place play-off on Tuesday.

Gabarone United attacker Kamogelo Moloi scored the only goal of the match in the 66^th minute off the bench for the Zebras to claim third place at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown.

It was at this same venue where the Flames started the tournament with a 8-9 penalty shootout defeat to Zambia following a 0-0 draw.

Ahead of Tuesday’s game, Malawi coach Kalisto Pasuwa made changes to the starting line-up due to injuries,withdrawals, club commitments and tactical reasons.

How Pasuwa shuffled Malawi line up with little success

Goalkeeper William Thole, defender Charles Petro, forwards Chawanangwa Kaonga, Mwisho Mhango, midfielders Robert Saizi, Aaron Lloyd, and striker Richard Mbulu made way for George Chikooka, Lloyd Njaliwa, Malango Mayere, Wisdom Mpinganjira, Chikumbutso Salima, Babatunde Adepoju and Patrick Mwaungulu respectively.

This seemed an attack-minded approach but once again, Malawi’s play in the final-third seemed hurried and not decisive to hurt the Zebras.

In the opposite camp, coach Morena Ramoreboli stuck to most of the new and youthful players from the starting XI that lost 3-0 to Zimbabwe on Saturday.

In the first half, Mwaungulu and defender Nickson Nyasulu had chances to score but deliveries from the wide areas failed to find the duo for them to connect.

The first half ended goalless with the Zebras creating the clearest of scoring opportunities which they hardly converted.

Botswana’s Zebras get it right to punish the Flames

The hosts upped the tempo after the break and deservedly got their reward from a blistering counterattack which finally ended with a ball being switched from the left to the right of the Flames penalty box for the 19-year-old Moloi to sweep the effort past exposed keeper Chikooka.

The response for Pasuwa’s men was instant but futile. Mpinganjira thought he had grabbed an equaliser for the Flames with an acrobatic volley when he met a right-wing cross from substitute Gaddie Chirwa, but the effort went off target in the 87^th minute.

A few minutes later, substitute Festus Duwe danced his way into the box from the right, but he was caught up in traffic of skyblue roadblocks.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Football Association of Malawi (@malawi_fa)

Overall, Botswana took seven shots against 13 for Malawi with six of them for the Flames on target while the hosts only directed four on goal.

Now, the inquest on Pasuwa will gather momentum after making it seven losses in 12 games of just two wins and three draws in all competitions. Meanwhile, as we went to press, Zambia were taking on Zimbabwe in the final.