Mponda says time for Malawi Flames to win COSAFA Cup

Mponda: Photo Credit: Football Association of Malawi.

Malawi senior national football team assistant coach Peter Mponda says the Flames cannot be mere participants in the Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup.

To change such a narrative, Coach Kalisto Pasuwa’s right-hand man says the Flames have set themselves a target of winning the tournament in South Africa. Bloemfontein will host the 14-member tournament from 4 to 15 June 2025.

The FCB Nyasa Big Bullets mentor told Football Association of Malawi media that the coaches have selected a balanced team capable of winning the international competition.

“Unfortunately, we have been participating in the competition since 1997, but we haven’t won it. We feel we have a very good squad to see us through to the semifinals, and see what happens if we reach the finals and try to win it. We are going there to compete and try to bring the cup home,” he said.

“We are very happy with the way things are going. We have tried to find the balance between giving exposure to some of the guys and also going to the tournament and trying to win it.”

The Flames left Malawi for South Africa on Wednesday with a minor setback. They have flown out without Silver Strikers midfielder Zebron Kalima, who is injured, while Japan-based defender Washali Jaziya asked to be excused from the tournament.

Malawi will kick off their COSAFA Cup campaign against Lesotho on June 5 before taking on Namibia three days later. The Flames’ last group assignment is against defending champions Angola on June 10.

The closest the Flames have come to winning the competition was in 2002 and 2003 when they reached the final on both occasions, losing to Bafana Bafana and Zimbabwe, respectively.