Malawi National Football Team Coach Patrick Mabedi has admitted that destiny is in their hands when they face Burkina Faso in Bamako, Mali, Tuesday.
The match comes five days after the Flames suffered a 3-2 loss to Burundi at Bingu National Stadium, which blurred their hope of qualifying for next year’s finals to be staged in Morocco.
However, Group L is still open after Senegal and Burkina Faso shared the spoils after a 1-1 stalemate in Dakar, Senegal, on Friday.
The Flames arrived in Bamako, Mali, on Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s crucial match.
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After arrival on Saturday, the Flames had a loosening session at Radisson Collection Hotel in the evening.
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However, speaking to Fam Media, Mabedi admitted the match against Burkina Faso is a must-win for the Flames to keep their qualification dream alive.
“It is a pity; we were supposed to at least get a minimum point in that game against Burundi. It is very important to get three points, not even a draw, here. That will help us to catch up. I am confident that we will not make mistakes again. We just need to win our game against Burkina Faso to remain in the race,” Mabedi said.
However, Mabedi said people should not read too much into the results of the first game in Group L. He said the loss to Burundi was a wake-up call.
“Obviously, if we talk mathematically, we need to think twice. At the same time, we need to look, also, in terms of how far we need to go in this tournament. It is good to start well and I would love to start well but obviously we need to finish well.
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“You can start well but, on the way, you cannot maintain that. Sometimes it is good to face a situation like this and to understand that you need to work hard and you need to improve to finish well. But sometimes, it does not matter how you start but how you finish,” Mabedi, who has won two games as Flames full-time coach, said.
He has guided the Flames to victories over Liberia 1-0 and Sao Tome and Principe 3-1 in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
But the team has lost five matches to Tunisia (1- 0), Equatorial Guinea (1-0) and Burundi 3-2. They also lost 4-0 and 2-1 to Kenya and Zambia, respectively, during the Four Nations Tournament in March this year.
Sports analyst George Kaudza Masina said the Flames must beat Burkina Faso to remain in contention.
“Any result in our next match on Tuesday will define our fate and destiny,” he said.
The Flames have never beaten Burkina Faso in four matches.
Burkina Faso have won three matches against Malawi, with one match ending in a draw.
Burundi top Group L with three points whereas Senegal and Burkina Faso have one point each. The Flames are at the bottom without a point.
Burundi will face Senegal at Bingu National Stadium this afternoon.
