BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi National Football Team head coach, Kalisto Pasuwa, has announced a 26-man squad set to face Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Flames will host Equatorial Guinea on 9 October at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe before travelling to Tunis for the away clash against São Tomé and Príncipe on 13 October.
Preparations will begin on Sunday, 5 October, when the squad regroups in Lilongwe.
Pasuwa has largely retained the core of his team, keeping 24 of the 26 players who featured in last month’s qualifiers against Namibia and Liberia.
The list features 15 foreign based players, a strong indication of his intent to blend local talent with international experience.
Among the notable inclusions is Ireland based defender Jubril Okedina of Bohemian FC, who returns to the squad for his first competitive appearance since playing in the Four Nations Tournament in March last year.
The squad, however, sees no place for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets striker Babatunde Adepoju, who was earlier tipped for a call-up but has not been included in the final selection.
Leading the attack will be seasoned forward Gabadinho Mhango of Richards Bay, Costa do Sol striker Richard Mbulu and exciting TP Mazembe duo Patrick Mwaungulu and Lanjesi Nkhoma.
Other key attackers include Mayele Malango (Monterey Bay FC), Chawanangwa Kaonga (Zanaco FC), Wisdom Mpinganjira (Mighty Wanderers) and Chikumbutso Salima (FCB Nyasa Big Bullets).
In midfield, Pasuwa has summoned Yankho Singo (FCB Nyasa Big Bullets), Blessings Singini (Mighty Wanderers), Lloyd Aaron (Muaither SC), Lloyd Njaliwa (Costa do Sol) and Robert Saizi (Zanaco).
The defense will be anchored by Charles Petro (Botosani FC), Nickson Nyasulu (FC Platinum), Dennis Chembezi (Al Qasim FC), Emmanuel Nyirenda (Mighty Wanderers), Gomezgani Chirwa (Ngezi Platinum), McDonald Lameck (Silver Strikers), Alick Lungu (Ekhaya FC) and Maxwell Paipi (Silver Strikers), alongside returning Okedina.
Between the posts, the Flames will rely on William Thole (Simba Bhora), George Chikooka (Silver Strikers) and Joshua Waka (Ekhaya FC).
With a blend of homegrown stars and international professionals, Malawi will be hoping to make a strong statement in their push for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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