Malawi coach confident of a shocking win

... Ghana thrashed Malawi 12-0 in 1962

Malawi coach is confident of shocking Ghana in Accra on Saturday in the first-leg final qualifier for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars, who are heavily fancied to win the game, are aware that underrating the Flames would be dangerous.


Despite the Flames’ 1-0 defeat to Liberia in a warm-up on Tuesday, he said he was ”satisfied” with the team’s performance.


Phiri has dropped hints of fielding home-based players like Robin Ngalande and Gabadinho Mhango who are in top form.


Malawi are yet to lose a match in the 2014 World Cup qualifier after drawing with Nigeria and Kenya.


In July, they beat African champions Zambia 1-0 in a friendly.


But the Flames are less-fancied to cause an upset at the Accra Sports Stadium against the four-time African championsGhana who will have key players Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan who missed June’s 1-0 defeat to Zambia in a 2014 World Cup qualifier.

Gyan, the Black Stars leading scorer, will be playing his first match for the team since coming out of temporary retirement in July.


The Al Ain striker wants his teammates to win big to make the second leg on 14 October in Lilongwe an academic exercise.


But Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah says he does not expect a stroll-in-the-park performance for his troops.


“Malawi is a very strong team. I have watched about two or three of their games and they have a very good team, they are doing well,” Appiah said.


“The most important thing is, we will let the players know that it’s a not a weak side or is not a team that anyone can underrate.”


Ghana’s biggest win in international was a 12-0 thrashing of Malawi back in 1962.