Mozambique and Malawi played out a 1-1 draw in a hard-fought encounter on the opening day of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier, held at the University of Johannesburg’s AW Muller Stadium. This was the first of two games at the venue, with Angola also securing a 2-1 victory over Lesotho to go top of the group.
Both teams relied heavily on wing play, with defenders for both sides regularly sending long passes behind opposing defensive lines in an attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities.
Despite dominating possession and earning several set-piece chances, Malawi was unable to capitalize in the first half.
Just as the match seemed destined for a goalless draw at halftime, Mozambique broke the deadlock in the 45th minute.
Gift Chibala, completely unmarked inside the penalty area, latched onto a cross to give his side the lead.
Malawi responded after the break, pushing forward in search of an equalizer. However, they struggled to break down Mozambique’s defence, which sat deep to protect their lead.
Substitute Thole Sachenja brought energy to the Malawi attack, using his pace to get into dangerous positions, but Mozambique remained resolute, though occasionally vulnerable.
In the final minutes, Malawi came agonizingly close to equalizing. With just seven minutes remaining, Hassan Madula saw his low shot strike the post, much to the frustration of his teammates.
Moments later, Malawi earned a free kick, but goalkeeper Carlos Antonio was equal to the task, denying them with a strong save.
In the dying seconds of the match, Malawi finally found their breakthrough. Bena Quissime fired a powerful shot from outside the box in the 90th minute, levelling the score and securing a point for his team.
The draw left both teams with a share of the spoils, while Angola’s win earlier in the day saw them sit atop the group.
