The Malawi domestic based national football team completed a double over Comoros with a 2-0 win on Saturday afternoon to progress to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final qualifying round with a 4-0 aggregate victory.
Second-half goals from FCB Nyasa Big Bullets midfielder Wongani Lungu and striker Binwell Katinji won the game for the Flames at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe where the latter was also on target in the first-leg game the hosts won by the same margin on March 2.
The Flames date either Egypt or South Africa, who drew one-all in their qualifying playoff first leg last week, in the final round of qualifying for the continental competition exclusive to home-based players.
It was the fifth win in six meetings for Malawi against the Islanders across all competitions and a back-to-back victory for Kalisto Pasuwa since being appointed as full-time national team coach last month.
Overall, the Zimbabwean has presided over four games, winning thrice and drawing once including when he was the caretaker coach.
In the opposite camp, Zainoudine Msoili’s side played both home and away matches at the Lilongwe venue due to the non-approval of Maluzini Stadium back home.
Other matches played this weekend involved Gambia against Gabon. The winner of this match will then challenge Algeria in the second round. The two qualified teams will qualify for the CHAN finals scheduled for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from August 2 to 30, 2025.
Starting XI:
Malawi: George Chikooka, Macdonald Lameck, Maxwell Paipi (C), Lloyd Aaron, Nickson Mwase, Yankho Singo, Gaddie Chirwa, Alick Lungu, Wongani Lungu, Wisdom Mpinganjira, Binwell Katinji
Comoros: Fadjidou, Sadad, Tarek, Gorin, Soure, Mohamd Ismael, Imadou, Maimodine, Oubedilah, Abdoulaziz, Athomane Ali,
CHAN Groups:
Group A: Kenya (host), Morocco, Angola, DR Congo and Zambia
Group B: Tanzania (host), Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Central African Republic
Group C: Uganda (host), Niger, Guinea, Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2
Group D: Senegal, Congo, Sudan and Nigeria.
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