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Namibia visit the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Thursday to face off with Malawi in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, as they look to continue their unbeaten run.
Ranked 111th in the world, the Namibian Warriors have won and drawn twice each from four games in the qualifiers so far. They have eight points and sit in second position behind leaders Tunisia (10 points).
Head coach Collin Benjamin has called up 24 players for this month's double-header against Malawi and Equatorial Guinea, including Deon Hotto. The South Africa-based forward has 80 caps for the side while netting 12 goals. There are five uncapped players called up to the squad.
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On the other hand, Malawi have alternated between a win and a defeat in their qualifying games so far. A victory over Liberia in their opener was followed by a loss to Tunisia. They recovered to overcome Sao Tome but suffered another late defeat to Equatorial Guinea.
With six points in the bag, the Flames are in fourth position in Group H but all's not lost yet. They are only two points off the top two and have the chance to turn their fortunes around.
Malawi vs Namibia Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been 15 clashes between the sides in history, with Namibia winning seven times over Malawi and losing on just four occasions.
- After drawing just once in their first 11 encounters, Malawi and Namibia have drawn thrice from their next four, including a 1-1 draw in their July 2021 COSAFA Cup clash.
- Malawi are ranked 131st in the world while Namibia are 20 places above them, according to the latest FIFA World Ranking.
- Namibia last beat Malawi in July 2011 (1-0 in a friendly). They have since gone five games without a win in this fixture.
Malawi vs Namibia Prediction
The Namibian Warriors have seen a better qualifying campaign so far, going unbeaten in all their matches while winning twice. But they will face some resistance here, as Malawi are fighting to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Malawi haven't lost in this fixture in nearly 14 years - a stat that should give them confidence entering the tie. But we're making a bold prediction and going with a win for Namibia, who could break the jinx.
Prediction: Malawi 1-2 Namibia
Malawi vs Namibia Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Namibia to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
