Malawi lost 2-0 to South Africa on Sunday, ending their African Nations Championship hopes. The Flames failed to protect their earlier 1-0 lead from the first leg. Victor Letsoalo scored after 12 minutes before Neo Maema added another goal at the 87-minute mark. South Africa won 2-1 overall across both games.
Coach Peter Mponda used a 3-5-2 setup that worked well last week at Bingu National Stadium. But South African coach Molefi Ntseki changed his plan for this match. South Africa put more players in the middle of the field, making it hard for Malawi to move the ball forward. The Flames needed better passers to break through these tight spaces.
Chawanangwa Gumbo came in during the second half for Promise Kamwendo. This helped Malawi create more chances as they added an extra player to their midfield. Gumbo started many good attacks for the Flames. The team lacked forwards who could beat defenders one-on-one when they had chances.
Players looked tired in the last 20 minutes, especially along the sides. The tired legs made it hard to stop South Africa from pressing forward, which let South Africa break through their defense for the second goal. The bench did not have enough quality players to help the team finish strong.
Coach Peter Mponda used a 3-5-2 setup that worked well last week at Bingu National Stadium. But South African coach Molefi Ntseki changed his plan for this match. South Africa put more players in the middle of the field, making it hard for Malawi to move the ball forward. The Flames needed better passers to break through these tight spaces.
Chawanangwa Gumbo came in during the second half for Promise Kamwendo. This helped Malawi create more chances as they added an extra player to their midfield. Gumbo started many good attacks for the Flames. The team lacked forwards who could beat defenders one-on-one when they had chances.
Players looked tired in the last 20 minutes, especially along the sides. The tired legs made it hard to stop South Africa from pressing forward, which let South Africa break through their defense for the second goal. The bench did not have enough quality players to help the team finish strong.
