Cosafa Cup Day 2 wrap: Malawi stun Zambia, Comoros down Seychelles

Malawi completed a first Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup victory over defending champions Zambia since 2015 with a crucial 1-0 success in their Group B clash at a vibrant King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Cosafa Cup Day 1 wrap: Bafana and Namibia draw, Botswana win

An own goal from unfortunate Zambia defender Aaron Katebe settled the contest in the favour of The Flames, but the game could have gone either way as both sides had chances for more goals after that.

Katebe headed the ball into his own net as he tried to clear a corner, a moment of good fortune that now puts Malawi in the driving seat in the pool, though it is Comoros who head the table on goal-difference.

Only the top team in each group advances to the semifinals, along with the best-placed runner-up across the three pools.

Comoros swept aside Seychelles 3-0 in the first game of the day in Group B, their biggest ever victory in the regional competition. It is, in fact, the first time Comoros had won a Cosafa Cup game by more than a single goal.

They took the lead on 27 minutes when Affane Djambae headed into the net from Bakri Youssouf’s hopeful pass.

Their second was an absolute thunderbolt and already a contender goal of the competition. The ball sat up nicely for Ibroihim Youssouf and he unleashed a 30-yards shot into the top corner of the net.

There was a bit of good fortune for the third when Raidou Bacar tried to the turn the ball into the net at the near post and a couple of deflections later, it did cross the line.

Group C will get under way at the same venue with a Lusophone derby between Mozambique and Angola that is sure to be a fiery affair (kick-off 6pm CAT).

Both teams will fancy their chances of topping the pool, so the chance to get an early three points is a huge carrot to be dangled in front of both.

Honours have been even down the years as they have claimed a win apiece and a draw in three previous meetings.

They have not met since a 1-0 win for The Mambas in Kitwe in 2013, a decade-long wait to go head-to-head again.

The first game of the day sees Mauritius take on Lesotho (3pm CAT). With two big guns to come, getting off to a winning start will be vital.

Lesotho and Mauritius have met on three previous occasions and it has been one-way traffic with the Mountain Kingdom winning all three games and scoring six goals in the process. That includes a 2-1 win last year.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Group B – King Zwelithini Stadium
Seychelles 0 Comoros 3 (Djambae 27′, I. Youssouf 39′, Raidou 58′)
Zambia 0 Malawi 1 (Katebe 17’og)

FRIDAY’S FIXTURES

Group C – King Zwelithini Stadium
Mauritius vs Lesotho (KO 3pm; 1pm GMT)
Mozambique vs Angola (KO 6pm; 4pm GMT)