Malawi National Football Team Coach Patrick Mabedi has excluded Moroka Swallows striker Frank Gabadinho Mhango from the final squad ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principle and Equatorial Guinea.
The Flames will host Sao Tome at Bingu National Stadium this Thursday before meeting Equatorial Guinea away in Malabo four days later.
According to the final squad which Football Association of Malawi (Fam) released Sunday, Mabedi has named a 26-member squad but there is no place for Mhango, who finished the DStv Premiership season on a high after helping Swallows survive relegation in the DStv Premiership.
Mhango was part of the Flames squad during the Four Nations Tournament, which Malawi hosted in March this year.
However, Mhango was booed and went straight to the dressing room after he was substituted during a third-place play-off against Zambia, which the Flames lost 2-1.
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But Mhango was not readily available for his comment Sunday.
Mabedi has named seven foreign country-based players namely goalkeeper Brighton Munthali (Black Leopards), defender Dennis Chembezi (Al Qasim SC), captain John Banda (UD Songo), winger Robert Saizi, striker Chawanangwa Kaonga (both Zanaco), Chifundo Mphasi (Kabwe Warriors) and Henry Kumwenda (Butler Men’s Soccer).
Llyod Njaliwa (Costa Do Sol), Djibril Okedina (Cambridge United) and Takondwa Maosa, who were part of the Four Nations Tournament squad, have been excluded.
Kamuzu Barracks striker Zeliati Nkhoma, Maxwell Paipi, Blessings Singini and Precious Sambani have made it into the final squad.
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Fam Communications and Competitions Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said some of the foreign country-based players are expected to join the squad today in Lilongwe.
“The Flames will continue preparations ahead of the two matches,” he said.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets players were expected to join the squad Sunday after they were excused last week due to club commitments.
The Flames started the qualifiers with a 1-0 victory over Liberia before losing to Tunisia by a similar margin. Malawi is fourth in Group H with three points whereas Tunisia and Namibia are joint leaders with six points each.
