Coach Jegwe Blames Malawi’s COSAFA Final Loss on Player Inexperience

Malawi Under-20 national football team coach Millias Jegwe has attributed his side’s 3-0 defeat to South Africa in the final of the COSAFA U-20 Youth Championship to a lack of tactical maturity and experience among his players.

Speaking after the match, which was played at the University of Namibia Stadium in Windhoek, Jegwe admitted that while the team showed promise, their inexperience was evident against a more polished and tactically disciplined South African side.

“Most of our players were participating in an international tournament of this magnitude for the first time, unlike South Africa whose squad had more exposure. This affected our tactical execution,” said Jegwe.

South Africa’s goals came through Njabulo Mzimela, Simphiwe Mlondo, and Omphemetse Sekgoto, securing a commanding win and the regional title. Malawi’s only notable chance came from a penalty kick by Mwisho Mhango, which failed to convert.

Despite the loss, Jegwe expressed satisfaction with the overall performance of the team, emphasizing the valuable lessons learned.

“There is a lot we have gained from this tournament. If we invest in what we’ve learned here, we can build a stronger team for the future,” he added.

Notably, Malawi’s Mwisho Mhango emerged as a standout performer, clinching the Top Scorer Award and being named Player of the Tournament, a silver lining for the Flames after missing out on the trophy.

The COSAFA U-20 tournament serves as a key developmental platform for emerging football talent across Southern Africa.