Why Malawian football clubs struggle in CAF?

Mighty Wanderers’ 7-1 aggregate defeat to Simba SC has once again exposed a question Malawian football cannot continue to avoid: why do our clubs struggle to compete consistently in Confederation of African Football (CAF) competitions?

The question is not about Wanderers alone. It is about the wider performance of Malawian clubs in African club competitions and why domestic success has so often failed to translate into sustained continental progress.

Malawi has produced clubs capable of competing at a high level in Africa. In 2004, Bakili Bullets reached the CAF Champions League group stage after progressing through the preliminary rounds, beating Uganda’s Villa 2-1 on aggregate, Zambia’s Zanaco on penalties and South Africa’s Orlando Pirates 2-1 on aggregate. In the group stage, they played their home matches at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre. They beat Africa Sports 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Enyimba, eventually finishing fourth in Group A with one win, three draws and two defeats.

More than two decades later, however, reaching that level remains difficult. This is where the debate should begin: what has changed, and what are Malawian clubs missing?
The first issue is continental experience. CAF football is different from the domestic game. Players face stronger opponents, different tactical systems, unfamiliar environments and greater pressure. Without regular exposure to that level, it becomes difficult for players and teams to develop the experience required to compete over two legs.

The second issue is tactical preparation. Winning the domestic league does not automatically mean a team is prepared for CAF football. A coach must study the opponent, understand its strengths and weaknesses, prepare different game plans and know how to respond when the match changes.

Wanderers’ 2026 tie against Simba SC provides a useful example. The Nomads lost the first leg 1-0 in Malawi, with Anicet Oura scoring in the 66th minute. CAF described Simba’s away victory as a disciplined performance that gave the Tanzanian side a strong platform for the return leg.

But the return match produced a completely different story. Simba won 6-1 in Tanzania to progress 7-1 on aggregate.

The figures raise questions about preparation and adaptation. How did a team that conceded only once at home end up conceding six goals in the return match? Was the opposition properly analysed? Was there a tactical response to Simba’s approach? These are questions for the technical department.

But the players cannot escape responsibility either.

CAF football demands concentration and discipline for 90 minutes. A team can dominate possession domestically and still struggle against an opponent that moves the ball faster, punishes mistakes and has greater experience of continental competition.

The third issue is squad depth and recruitment. Domestic competition may allow a club to succeed with a relatively small group of quality players. CAF competition exposes weaknesses much faster. Injuries, suspensions, fatigue and tactical changes can require a squad with genuine depth.

The fourth issue is club investment and planning. Continental football should not begin when the first CAF match arrives. Clubs need to prepare months in advance, identify their weaknesses, strengthen the squad and study potential opponents.

This also means that club executives must set clear targets. Is the objective simply to participate because the club has won the domestic league, or is the club genuinely preparing to reach the next round, the group stage and beyond?

The fifth issue is the gap between Malawi’s domestic football and the continental level. If players spend most of the season competing only against familiar domestic opponents, they may not regularly experience the speed, tactical demands and intensity found in CAF competition.

Recent results illustrate the problem. In 2023, Nyasa Big Bullets beat Dragon FC 3-0 on aggregate before losing 5-0 on aggregate to TP Mazembe. CAF records show that Big Bullets won the first-round tie against Dragon FC 2-0 away and 1-0 at home before Mazembe eliminated them in the next round.

These results should not be used simply to criticise the clubs. They should help us identify what happens when Malawian champions meet teams with greater continental experience, resources and preparation.

There is also an important lesson from history. The fact that Bakili Bullets reached the Champions League group stage in 2004 means Malawi has already demonstrated that such progress is possible. Their campaign included victories over Zanaco and Orlando Pirates before they entered the group stage, where they competed against Étoile du Sahel, Enyimba and Africa Sports.

The question is why that level has not become a consistent standard for our leading clubs.

That is why blaming one coach after every CAF elimination is too easy. Coaches matter, players matter and administrators matter, but the problem may be much deeper than one technical panel.

Malawian clubs need a continental strategy. Winning the domestic championship should be the first step towards CAF competition, not the end of the project.
Wanderers’ 7-1 defeat to Simba should therefore become a football lesson rather than just another painful result. The important question is not only why Wanderers lost to Simba, but why Malawian clubs continue to struggle when they step outside the domestic environment.

Until our clubs improve their tactical preparation, continental experience, squad depth, recruitment, investment and long-term planning, the gap will remain difficult to close.
Malawi has already shown that its clubs can reach the Champions League group stage. The challenge now is turning that historical achievement into a regular expectation.

The problem is getting into CAF. The problem is being ready for CAF.

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