Malawi Edge Ethiopia in Thrilling AFCON Qualifier as Antelopes Suffer Second Defeat
Malawi secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ethiopia in their Group B clash of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Wednesday, handing the Antelopes their second consecutive defeat.
The Flames took an early lead through Atusaye Nyondo’s 18th-minute strike, only for Ethiopia’s Getaneh Kebede to restore parity just before halftime.
The second half saw Malawi regain the advantage when Frank Banda found the net in the 62nd minute. Nyondo then sealed his brace with a quick follow-up goal four minutes later, pushing the Flames ahead 3-1.
Ethiopia’s Yussuf Saleh scored a late consolation goal during stoppage time, but it proved insufficient to prevent the defeat.
The result allows Malawi to bounce back strongly after their opening-day loss to Mali, placing them alongside Mali and Algeria at the top of the group, pending the outcome of their meeting.
Starting Lineups
Malawi: Harawa, Nyirenda, Lanjesi, Malata, Mullimbika, Kayira, Kamwendo, Ng’ambi, Ngalande, Mhango, Nyondo.
Ethiopia: Jemal Tassew, Alula Girma, Tok James, Saladin Bargecho, Berhanu Bogale, Natnael Zekele, Tadele Mengesha, Shemeles Bekele, Adane Girma, Saladin Said, Oumed Oukri.
With momentum swinging in Malawi’s favour, the race for qualification in Group B remains fiercely competitive as teams prepare for the next round of fixtures.
