Malawi National Football Team Coach Patrick Mabedi has said his charges have great potential to bring good results in all competitions.
The Flames went down 0-1 to Tunisia in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Tuesday after opening the qualifiers with a 1-0 beating of Liberia on Friday.
Malawi currently lie third with three points in Group H of the qualifiers.
Msakini Youssef scored the lone goal from the penalty spot after defender Lawrence Chaziya fouled Ltaief Sayfallah towards the end of the match.
Mabedi said he is in the process of building a team that will bring smiles on the faces of all Malawians.
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“All is not lost. We just need to go back to the drawing board and map the way forward before our next assignments. This is a team with great potential to hammer its opponent left, right and centre with many goals. We are in the process of growing this team.
“We just need to learn because teams like Tunisia will punish you if you make mistakes. But we contained them throughout and matched them pound-for-pound. This means we are on the right path. We just need to sit down and try to analyse where we can improve and become better,” the former Kaizer Chiefs interim coach and captain said.
Tunisia are currently at the top of Group H with six points from two matches, above Equatorial Guinea on goal difference.
On the penalty awarded to the North Africans, Mabedi said it was just unfortunate that his defender Chaziya did not make the important decision at the most crucial moment.
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“It happens in a game of football. I am very proud of the manner in which the boys expressed themselves. This gives me a lot of optimism that we will do better soon,” he added.
This was the first defeat for Mabedi in open play since he took over as Flames mentor from Romanian Mario Marinica.
Before Tuesday’s match, Mabedi, had drawn five times with four wins.
