Malawi national team coach, Patrick Mabedi, has admitted that his team faces a daunting task in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Equatorial Guinea on Monday.
Speaking after his team’s training session at the Estadio Malabo on Sunday, Mabedi acknowledged that Equatorial Guinea is a stronger side than the Flames.
“We know that Equatorial Guinea is a better side than us,”
“And now they are hungry for points after losing those six points due to the FIFA decision,” said Mabedi
Despite the challenge, Mabedi remains optimistic about his team’s chances.
“But my boys are here on a mission to compete and get results, and we are looking forward to winning this game,” he said.
Mabedi urged his players to be on top of their game and attack, rather than sit back and defend.
“We have told the boys to be on top of their game and attack, and not sit back defending like how most teams do when they are playing away,” he said.
Captain John Banda echoed his coach’s sentiments, saying, “We are here for a mission. We know how good our opponents are. They have a deep and well-exposed squad. But we are here to compete and get a result.”
The Flames go into the match sitting in fourth position in Group H, with Tunisia leading the standings followed by Namibia and Liberia.
“We know that this is a new game, and we need to concentrate without looking at how we have performed this far,” Mabedi said.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 pm on Monday afternoon at the Estadio Malabo.
