Comoros, Malawi holding hope

Chikoti Chirwa of Malawi (c) during the 2019 Afcon qualifying football match between Cameroon and Malawi at the Hamadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon on 12 October 2018 ©Alain Suffo/BackpagePix

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Nov 16, 2018. 09:15

When Comoros and Malawi clash in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Saturday at the Stade de Moroni, both will be holding hope that they can reach the tournament proper next year in Cameroon.

Kick-off is at 14h00 (CAT).

Group B of the 2019 Afcon qualifying campaign is delicately poised with both Comoros and Malawi holding an outside chance of qualifying.

Cameroon top the standings with eight points from four games, followed by Morocco in second place on seven points. Malawi are third in Group B with four points while Comoros are last with two points.

Malawi’s only win in their Afcon qualifying campaign came over Comoros in their first Group B match, beating them 1-0 back in June last year.

Following that victory Malawi suffered an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Morocco away from home in September of this year and then a 1-0 loss to Cameroon on October 12, also away from home.

Malawi’s most recent qualifying match was a 0-0 draw at home to Cameroon on October 16.

Comoros, on the other hand, are yet to win a game in Group B and have suffered losses to Malawi (1-0 in June 2017) and Morocco (1-0 on October 13 of this year).

The Comoros’ only two points in Group B have come from draws against Cameroon (1-1 at home in September of this year) and most recently a 2-2 draw against Cameroon on October 16.

So it is all to play for between Malawi and Comoros with both their Afcon lives on the line, but they could know their fate ahead of the encounter as the other Group B game between Morocco and Cameroon takes place on Friday, November 16.