*Flames Beaten in Addis Ababa

Malawi’s national football team put up an impressive second-half performance but failed to score as they lost 1-0 to Ethiopia in their first FIFA break friendly match. The game was played at Dire Dawa National Stadium in Addis Ababa on Saturday afternoon.

A third-minute goal by Fitmus Tirahun for the hosts was enough to secure the win, despite the Flames coming close on several occasions.

Chifundo Mphasi missed two clear chances, while Christopher Kumwembe, Babatunde Adepoju, and Gaddie Chirwa also went close. Substitute Blessings Singini made a game-changing impact after coming on.

Head coach Kalisto Pasuwa said conceding early and missing good chances were the factors that led to their defeat.

“We started slowly. We conceded from a corner kick in the early minutes and lost concentration. We created chances but unfortunately did not score in the first half. In the second half, after the changes, we played better and had more clear chances than our o