Babatunde Thanks FAM and Coaches After First Goal

Flames forward Babatunde Adepoju has thanked the Football Association of Malawi for giving him the opportunity to play for the national team, and the coaches for their trust after he netted his first international goal.

The player was born in Nigeria but switched nationality through naturalization after staying in the country for over 7 years, making him eligible to feature for the Flames.

Babatunde scored his first goal on Tuesday in Malawi’s 1-1 draw against Ethiopia, his second game since making his debut. He celebrated by thanking God, his family, coaches, and FAM.

“All glory to God for His grace and strength through every step. To my family, thank you for your love, prayers, and sacrifice. You’re my backbone.

“To the coaches, thank you for the guidance, discipline, and belief in me. You shaped me. To the Football Association of Malawi, FAM, thank you for the opportunity and support to represent this great country.

Babatunde score first Flames goal

Nigerian-born forward Babatunde Adepoju scored his first international goal, but it was not enough to fire the Flames past Ethiopia as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the second international friendly. The match was held at Dire Dawa National Stadium in Addis Ababa on Tuesday afternoon.

Babatunde found the target in the 19th minute, but the Flames failed to hold on to their lead as Binyam Belay levelled before halftime. The second half produced a less entertaining match and yielded no goals.

Head coach Pasuwa was furious, saying the team needed to win but again conceded after taking the lead and also missed clear cut chances just as in the first friendly match.

“Also, one area I noticed is that when we are pressed high we struggle to play out from that situation, so I need to work on that as well,” he added.

He also hailed Babatunde for ending his wait for a first international goal, and said he believes it will motivate him and other playe