Malawi U-23 confident of beating Eswatini

Malawi Under-23 National Football Team coach Bob Mpinganjira says he is confident of making an impressive start in 2027 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers’ first round first leg against Eswatini this afternoon at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

The qualifiers, whose finals will be hosted by Egypt next year, will also serve as Africa’s qualifier for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Mpinganjira: The players are in good shape. | Nation

The Malawi Under-23 team last competed in the continental showpiece in 2019 when they lost 1-0 to Zambia in the first round, but during a press briefing monitored on FAM Facebook page yesterday, Mpinganjira said his charges are set for the battle.

“We are ready for the game and all the players are in good shape. It’s a very important game for us since we are playing at home. We need a good result to be on the safe side before the away second leg,” he said.

“We know it will be a difficult game, considering that we have not been active, but we will fight for maximum points.”

Eswatini Under-23 team head coach Friday Myeni yesterday said they will also do their best to secure a vital away win.

He is also quoted by Times of Eswatini as having said that they will avoid setting up defensively on foreign soil by taking the game directly to the hosts.

“The objective is clear. We are here to redeem the country,” the publication quoted him as saying. “We have prepared not just to avoid conceding, but to actively score so that the return fixture is easier for us.”

Myeni emphasised that his squad, built on talent from their country’s elite league, regional leagues and school programmes, possesses the firepower needed to gain an early advantage.

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