Malawi is looking to resume dominance in the contest as they meet with Lesotho for their semi-finals meeting in the COSAFA Cup, with a spot in the finals at stake. Malawi finished at the top of their group after finishing the group stage winning all their matches. They earned all the nine points in their campaign, and are now aiming to storm off until the finals. As for Lesotho, they also finished at the top of their group, but their campaign is not as smooth as Malawi‘s. Lesotho ended their group campaign with a wrong foot, losing their last match, after winning the first two. From the last meeting between these two teams, Malawi boost an advantage, winning 12 matches. Meanwhile, Lesotho only earned four wins from those matches, and their matches ended with draws. This meeting will be on July 14, 2023, at 9:00 PM (GMT+8).
Malawi
Malawi is a team who is not that successful when it comes to the continental stage during their past appearances. However, the 2023 edition of COSAFA Cup is different, as they were able to establish themselves here. They finished at the top of their groups, winning all their group matches, making them as one of the title favorites here. Malawi’s last match in the group stage ended with a 2-0 win against Comoros, giving them confidence in this match. Before that, they had a 1-0 win against Zambia during their opener, and a 2-0 win against Seychelles. Their biggest advantage coming into this match is their defense, which Malawi needs to utilize. Aside from looking for their fourth win in the contest, Malawi is also looking to qualify for the finals the third time in their history.
As defense is their biggest advantage here, Malawi is set to retain Denis Chembezi, Nickson Mwase, and Stanley Sanudi in defense. Moreover, they will rely on Christopher Kumwembe, and Kaongan in goal scoring, as they are two of their top goal scorers.
Lesotho
Lesotho on the other hand did not have a group campaign as smooth as their opponent’s. They actually opened their campaign in the contest with a 2-0 win against Mauritius. Lesotho followed that win with a 1-0 win against Mozambique, but lost to their last group stage against Angola, 4-2. Despite their loss in their final match in the groups, they were still able to finish at the top of their group. They earned six points in their campaign, enough for them to qualify in the semi-finals. Lesotho is with two points lead against Angola, booking them a spot in the semis. They are aiming to bounce back and win this important match, for them to enter the finals again. The last time Lesotho qualified for the finals is during the 2000 edition, where they lost against Zimbabwe.
As their key players were rested during their match against Angola, they will finally return here to try to earn finals qualification. This includes Sekhoane Moerane, Thabo Lesoaoana, and Jane Thabantso, who are expected to lead Lesotho.
Prediction:
Malawi (2.0)
Odds: -0.94
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