Malawi National Football Team Coach Patrick Mabedi has said people should not read too much into results of the Four Nations Tournament held at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
The Flames were a pale of their own shadow during the competition, as they finished last after suffering defeats to Kenya and Zambia.
However, Mabedi said the team is ready for the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principle in June.
“We are ready for the qualifiers. The Zambia game has given us a lot of lessons. For example, we improvised some of the players, notably Dennis Chembezi. We now have an idea about how to use other players when we have injuries,” Mabedi said.
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The Flames lost 4-0 to Kenya on Saturday before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Zambia on Tuesday.
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The former Flames and Kaizer Chiefs defender also said some players struggled during the tournament due to lack of fitness.
“Sometimes we do not want excuses but football is reality. As such, we need to mention them [grounds for excuse]. For the few players that were released late for camp, performance and fitness was a problem and we could relate that to what was happening in the field. Overall, we just need to learn to be in time together with other teammates so that we have enough time to prepare for matches,” he said.
Mabedi named 11 foreign country-based players for the tournament and they included Frank Gabadinho Mhango, Jubril Okedina, Takondwa Maosa and Henri Kumwenda.
However, only Okedina featured in both matches whereas Maosa and Kumwenda earned some minutes in the first match.
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According to Mabedi, Maosa and Kumwenda picked up knocks before the game against Zambia.
Meanwhile, sports analyst George Kaudza Masina has said the performance of the team was a wake-up call to Mabedi ahead of the qualifiers.’
“The Flames’ performance was disjointed and a disappointment— considering that all the best players were available. Fielding of players was not up to the mark,” he said.
The Flames are in Group H of the World Cup qualifiers alongside Tunisia, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia and Sao Tome.
