With just two minutes left on the clock, Zeliat Nkhoma’s powerful header gave Malawi a vital 1-0 edge over South Africa in their African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier, setting the stage for a tense return leg in Pretoria on June 11.
The 31-year-old striker’s late heroics came off a corner kick and stunned the hosts, injecting life into Malawi’s campaign to qualify for the CHAN finals, a tournament exclusively for home-based players but one that carries significant weight in FIFA world rankings.
Saturday’s clash is part of a wider continental battle for spots in the 2025 CHAN, set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in August. With only group winners advancing, the stakes are high and every goal matters. Should Malawi maintain their advantage in the second leg, they will join Uganda, Niger, and Guinea in Group C a pool already shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the tournament.
Elsewhere in the qualifiers, Gambia have emerged as a surprise package. Despite their third straight goalless draw, they’ve proven resilient previously edging past Gabon in a penalty shootout and recently managed to hold a highly rated Algerian side made up of players from top-tier clubs like Mouloudia Alger.
With defending champions Senegal placed in the only four-team group alongside Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan, the road to CHAN glory promises to be as demanding as it is unpredictable.
