Gabadinho Mhango, the seasoned striker for Marumo Gallants, has made a return to the Malawi Flames squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers. This comes as a significant shift in the Flames' squad, especially after the recent sacking of coach Patrick Mabedi following a string of disappointing results. Under the temporary guidance of Zimbabwean coach Kalisto Pasuwa, the Flames will face Burundi and Burkina Faso in dead-rubber Group L qualifying matches.
Mhango's return is seen as a critical boost for the team. His absence from the squad under the previous coach, Mabedi, was controversial, particularly given the Flames' poor performances in their qualifiers against top African teams such as Senegal, Burundi, and Burkina Faso. Malawi's qualification hopes were dashed after back-to-back losses, leading to Mabedi's dismissal.
Mhango, who has previously been a key figure in the Flames' attack, was left out of the squad during the qualifiers, and this decision was widely debated. His return is seen as a chance to rekindle the team’s attacking threat. With his experience, Mhango will likely play a key role in leading the attack alongside other striking options like Richard Mbulu and Lloyd Njaliwa.
Pasuwa, who has been tasked with steering the team through these final qualifiers, has also made other changes to the squad. Notably, he has recalled Romania-based defender Charles Petro and dropped several regulars, including goalkeeper Brighton Munthali and midfielders Robert Saizi and Chimwemwe Idana. The restructuring comes with the goal of rebuilding and regrouping the team for their upcoming matches.
Malawi will face Burundi on November 14 in Ivory Coast, before hosting Burkina Faso in Lilongwe on November 18. The matches, while not influencing their qualification for the Afcon finals, still hold significant importance for the team as they look to end the qualifiers on a positive note.
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