Staff Writer
WINDHOEK, July 15 — The Malawi national football team, the Flames, have been drawn in Group H of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers. The group also includes Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Liberia, and São Tomé.
The Flames will face a tough challenge to qualify for the World Cup, as Tunisia is a strong side that has qualified for the tournament on several occasions. Equatorial Guinea is also a dangerous team, having reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Namibia, Liberia, and São Tomé are all capable of causing upsets, so the Flames will need to be at their best if they want to qualify.
The qualifiers will be played from November 2023 to October 2025, with the winners of each group automatically qualifying for the World Cup. The four best runners-up will go into a playoff tournament, with the winner advancing to a final playoff against a team from another confederation.
The Flames will be hoping to build on their recent progress in international football. They reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and they will be looking to go one step further in 2023. If they can do that, they will be in a good position to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup African qualifiers was held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Thursday. The tournament will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States and it will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams.
The Flames will begin their qualifying campaign on November 13, 2023, when they host Tunisia. They will then travel to Equatorial Guinea on November 17, 2023. The Flames will play their home matches at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
The Flames will need to start their qualifying campaign strongly if they want to qualify for the World Cup. They will face a tough challenge, but they have the talent to achieve their goal.
