Flames have no where to hide - Mabedi

Malawi's Flames coach Patrick Mabedi says his wards have no where to hide from a rough road to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.

The former Kaizer Chiefs defender was reacting to the draw for Afcon which saw the Flames in Group L alongside Senegal, Burkina Faso and Burundi.

The ex-Flames skipper said his charges must roll up their sleeves and brace for battle when the qualifiers start in November 2024.

"We are in a tough group with very good teams. They [Senegal and Burkina Faso] have been in Afcon almost more often," he told Malawi FA media.

The FCB Nyasa Big Bullets defender has since cautioned the Flames that the road to the next Afcon finals requires breaking sweat.

"We need to work hard. We need to dig deep so that we can overcome them but at the end of the day, it will be 11 versus 11 in the field [of play]," he said.

Mabedi insisted that time had come for the lowly ranked team to challenge the big boys of continental football.

"It is a tough group, but in football, anything can happen. If you compete with the best, you become the best. We can't run away from them. We need to face them," he said.

The 50-year-old has since admitted that easing past fellow group minnows, Burundi from the group was not optional.

"In that group, we are two small teams––Malawi and Burundi–-but be careful because we can hurt them," he warned the Falcons.

The Flames last qualified for the Afcon finals at the 2021 edition in Cameroon where they reached the round-of-16 for the first time.

Inspired by forward Gabadinho Mhango, Malawi emerged from their group unscathed after recovering from a 1-0 loss to Guinea to beat Zimbabwe 2-1 and hold Senegal.

A 2-1 loss to Morocco ended the Afcon journey for the Flames who went on to replace coach Mario Marinica with Mabedi last year.

The current coach has since discarded most experienced players, including the South Africa-based Mhango.

The Flames have won two games and lost also twice in the ongoing 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.