Malawi and Guinea will take on each other in Group D of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Flames, who are now second in their group, have already secured a trip to Ivory Coast. They will want to finish the qualifying season on a victorious note.
Preview (Malawi vs. Guinea)
On June 20, Malawi’s hopes of making a second appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations in the previous three years were dashed after they were held to a scoreless draw by Ethiopia. Once again, the Flames failed to challenge the home team in the attacking half of the field and ultimately settled for a share of the spoils at the Bingu National Stadium. Since opening the qualifying round with a 2-1 victory over Ethiopia on June 5, Malawi has lost all four of its games in Group D, drawing one, and winning none. Their troubles in front of goal, where they have been unable to find the net, have contributed to this disappointing run.
Patrick Mabedi’s team currently sits last but one spot in Group D with just four points from a possible fifteen. They are level on points with last-placed Ethiopia, who play Egypt in the other group matchup on Friday. Malawi finished fourth in the 2023 COSAFA Cup after losing to South Africa in a penalty shootout. They are coming off a dismal run into the weekend. On the other side, Guinea was defeated 4-1 by Brazil in a friendly match on June 17. This meant they went home empty-handed for the second game in a row.
This came after a 2-1 loss to Egypt on June 14 at the Stade de Marrakech. It put an end to their string of three consecutive victories in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. Kaba Diawara’s team has three victories from their five games in Group D. They are presently second in the rankings, three points behind Egypt and five ahead of Malawi. Guinea will be betting on themselves to turn things around this weekend as they face a team that has lost their last three matches overall, dating back to a scoreless tie in March 2016.
Team News
The Silver Striker trio of striker Afiel Kaduya, midfielder Chikondi Kamanga, and defender Tatenda M’balaka are among Malawi’s 27 players who have been picked for this weekend’s match. Aside from John Banda, Richard Mbulu of Costa Do Sol, and Chawanangwa Kaonga of Zanaco, the team also includes Black Leopards goalie Brighton Munthali. Mbulu teamed up with Lanjesi Nkhoma and Kaonga in the Malawi attack. They should continue to play the starring role in the qualifying match against Ethiopia from back in June.
On the other hand, Guinea has selected an experienced team for the match on Saturday. They will be led by Naby Keita and seasoned goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone. In the rematch in July 2022, Keita scored the game-winning goal in the 91st minute to defeat Malawi. He should serve as the team’s center-back captain this time around. Although there is nothing at risk for either Malawi or Guinea in this match, we nevertheless anticipate a thrilling contest at the Bingu National Stadium. Given the difference in skill and experience between the two teams, we predict that Guinea will win this match.
Malawi 0 – 1 Guinea
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