Malawi’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been dealt a significant blow as star striker Gabadinho Mhango has been ruled out of the upcoming match against Liberia.
The Moroka Swallows striker failed to travel to join The Flames after missing his flight. Mhango confirmed to a Malawian daily that he had misjudged his flight schedule, resulting in him missing the crucial connection to Ethiopia, where the Flames were en route to Liberia.
“I thought my flight was scheduled for 1:00 PM, but upon reaching the airport, I was informed that it had departed at 11:00 AM,” Mhango explained to Daily News.
He blamed the mix-up on his “demanding schedule”. “I was with my team in Polokwane for a match the previous day [Saturday],” Mhango elaborated.
DECISION TO EXCLUDE MHANGO
Despite efforts by Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu to arrange an alternative flight for Mhango, the Flames’ coach, Patrick Mabedi, opted against the arrangement, citing potential disruptions to team morale.
“I intervened to facilitate Gaba’s inclusion in the squad, but the coach has decided against it, expressing concerns about the impact on team spirit,” Nyamilandu stated.
Interestingly, while Mhango missed his flight due to the scheduling error, his counterpart, Black Leopards goalkeeper Brighton Munthali, successfully made the connection, flying to Ethiopia on November 14, 2023.
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Mabedi’s decision to exclude Mhango from the squad is particularly noteworthy given the coach’s previous omission of the striker from the Flames’ squads for the 2023 AFCON qualifiers and the 2023 Cosafa Cup.
However, with Zambia-based striker Chawanangwa Kaonga sidelined due to injury, Mabedi was compelled to recall Mhango.
Gabadinho Mhango has made a relatively impressive start to his career at Swallows, scoring three goals in 10 appearances, including seven starts. He is widely regarded as Malawi’s footballing icon, having played a pivotal role in the Flames’ journey to the delayed 2021 AFCON finals held in Cameroon last year. At the tournament, Mhango emerged as the tournament’s third-leading scorer, netting three goals in four matches.
His stunning strike in Malawi’s 2-1 loss to Morocco was even nominated for the 2022 CAF Goal of the Year Award, although the ultimate accolade went to Pape Sakho of Tanzania’s Simba SC.