By Shaffie A Mtambo
LOBAMBA-(MaraviPost)-John Mchema scored on his Malawi Under-23 debut, but the Junior Flames were eliminated from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after drawing 1-1 with Eswatini.
According to the Eswatini Football Association’s official Facebook page, Mchema scored in the 91st minute as Malawi fought back to draw at Somhlolo National Stadium, but Eswatini advanced 2-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg 1-0 in Lilongwe.
Mchema started the match in his first appearance for the Malawi Under-23 side and marked his debut with a late equaliser.
The first half ended goalless, with neither side able to convert its chances into a goal.
Eswatini eventually broke the deadlock in the 76th minute through Njongo Mazibuko, putting the hosts 1-0 ahead.
Malawi continued to search for an equaliser and eventually found it deep into stoppage time when Mchema scored in the 91st minute.
However, the late goal was not enough to keep Malawi in the competition, as Eswatini progressed after winning the two-legged tie 2-1 on aggregate.
The first leg, played at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, ended 1-0 in favour of Eswatini, leaving Malawi with a difficult task in the return fixture.
Speaking after the match, Malawi Under-23 head coach Bob Mpinganjira said his players created several scoring opportunities but were let down by poor finishing.
Mpinganjira said the team repeated the same mistakes made during the first leg at Bingu National Stadium, which ultimately contributed to their elimination.
The coach has since appealed to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to maintain and develop the Under-23 squad.
Mpinganjira believes keeping the players together could help Malawi develop a stronger senior national team in the future.
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