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Sunday, 12 October 2008

Minnows Malawi defeats DRC in joint CAN/World Cup qualifier

Blantyre, Malawi - Malawi's less-fancied national football team, the Flames, scored twice to reverse a first-half goal deficit and send the much-fancied DR Congo out of the Africa Cup of Nations in an explosive match played at a packed Kamuzu Stadium in Malawi's commercial capital, Blantyre.

Twenty-year-year-old Chiukepo Msowoya's 80th-minute goal means Malawi now has the best chance in over 20 years to participate in Africa's highest-level football tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for Angola in 2010.

Lomana Tresor Lua Lua put the visitors ahead after only 12 minutes, but Malawi turned the game around in the second half when coach Kinnah Phiri made a tactical switch by replacing winger Joseph Kamwendo with the goal scorer.

The change paid dividends with Malawi putting pressure on the visitors, and the equaliser came in the 65th minute through Robert Ng'ambi.

The goal revived the 60,000 fans who were in low spirit following the first-half goal and they were later thrown into wild celebration when Msowoya scored the winner.

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