Sports analyst Dan Chemis has urged the coaching panel of the Malawi National Football Team, the Flames, to focus on nurturing talent from the Under-20 level if Malawi is to build a competitive squad capable of challenging international heavyweights.
Chemis made the remarks after Malawi suffered a 2–0 defeat (2–1 on aggregate) to South Africa at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, once again failing to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
“From that game, it’s clear that certain techniques are lacking in the team because most of the current players did not pass through the youth development ranks,” Chemis said.
South Africa started on the front foot as Victor Letsoalo led the line and opened the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalising on a defensive error by Malawi.
However, the Flames showed slight improvement in the second half after coach Peter Mponda pushed more players forward in search of a goal, with Wisdom Mpinganjira spearheading the attack from the wings.
Nonetheless, South Africa sealed the result in the 87th minute when Neo Maema, their captain, scored from close range.
Reacting to the match, Mponda expressed optimism despite the loss, stating that the team put in a commendable effort.
“With the goal we scored in Malawi — courtesy of Zeliat Nkhoma’s 87th-minute strike — and the way the guys played, there was a lot of encouragement and a lot of positives defensively. The boys managed to keep the ball very well tactically,” Mponda said.
Football data analyst Anstey Chinombo noted that statistics from the match reflected a balanced contest in terms of possession and attacking intent.
However, he emphasised areas requiring urgent attention.
“Malawi lacked clinical finishing, defensive concentration, and tactical adaptability away from home.
“I recommend focused improvements in final-third efficiency, set-piece execution, mental resilience, and strategies for away fixtures. With targeted development in these areas, the Flames can become more competitive in future international matches,” Chinombo said.
Another sports analyst, Christopher Njeula, offered his tactical perspective.
“Perhaps it was a tactical decision, but in my view, Nkhoma should have started ahead of Promise Kamwendo. That would have added a fear factor. South Africa would have concentrated on Zeliat, which could have created space for others to exploit,” Njeula explained.
The 2025 African Nations Championship — a continental tournament reserved for home-based players — will be co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from 2 to 30 August.
