As most Malawians were fast asleep, the Malawi National Football Team, the Flames, was busy enduring another disappointing night on the pitch, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The match, played at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Tunis, kicked off at 11 PM on Monday and stretched into the early hours of Tuesday.
This marks the Flames’ second consecutive loss in the qualifiers, following a 1-0 defeat to Namibia at Bingu National Stadium just four days earlier.
Tunisia sealed their victory late in the game, with Seifeddine Jaziri heading in the opener in the 85th minute before Elias Achouri converted a penalty in stoppage time.
Malawi had a golden opportunity to grab a consolation goal, but Richard Mbulu’s penalty in the dying moments was saved by Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, summing up a frustrating night for the visitors.
To make matters worse, the Flames ended the match with 10 men after Lloyd Aaron received a red card for a second bookable offense in the 64th minute.
Following this result, Malawi remains in fifth place in Group H with six points from six matches, while Tunisia continues to dominate at the top with 16 points.
Namibia sits second with 12 points after drawing 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea at Peter Mokaba Stadium in South Africa.
Elsewhere in the group, Liberia secured a 2-1 win over São Tomé and Príncipe, keeping them in third place with 10 points.
Equatorial Guinea holds fourth place with seven points, while São Tomé remains at the bottom without a single point.
