LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s Under-23 (U-23) national football team suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Eswatini in the first leg of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U-23 qualifiers at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Tuesday, afternoon.
MaraviPost Sports Desk witnessed the match at Bingu National Stadium, where Malawi struggled to find the breakthrough before Eswatini punished the hosts with a second half counter attack.
The two sides played a closely contested first half.with neither team able to break the deadlock despite creating opportunities.
Malawi tried to control possession and build attacks but Eswatini remained organised and dealt with the hosts’ attempts to penetrate their defence.
The visitors eventually broke the deadlock in the second half when Vilakati Sibonelo finished off a swift counter attack to give Eswatini a 1-0 lead.
Malawi responded by pushing forward in search of an equaliser, but Eswatini remained disciplined and protected their advantage.
Despite the defeat, Malawi still have an opportunity to turn the tie around when the two teams meet in the return leg.
Head coach Bob Mpinganjira has remained confident that his side can recover from the setback and qualify for the next round.
Mpinganjira said it is “not over until it is over,” insisting that Malawi still stands a chance of progressing despite losing the first leg.
The result means Malawi will need to score in the return fixture while keeping Eswatini from extending their advantage.
The Junior Flames will now travel to Eswatini for the second leg, where they will attempt to overturn the 1-0 deficit and keep their qualification campaign alive.
The winner of the two legged tie will face Algeria in the next round of the CAF (Confederation of African Football) U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Leave a Reply