Zambia vs Malawi Prediction: Both sides hope for a win start

On Thursday, the defending champions, Zambia, will begin their defense of their championship against Malawi at the King Zwelithini Stadium. Both of the teams will be competing in the competition as part of Group B, which also includes Comoros and Seychelles. The previous year, Zambia were crowned COSAFA Cup champions for the sixth time, while Malawi were eliminated in the group stage.

In the qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations that took place last month, Zambia defeated Ivory Coast by a score of 3-0. In 2023, Chipolopolo played four games and won three of them, including two against Lesotho and Ivory Coast. In those wins, they scored at least two goals in each game. During that time frame, they have also managed to maintain a couple of clean sheets. On the other hand, it is anticipated that the Chipolopolo will enter this encounter with a great deal of ambition and drive, be in top form both defensively and offensively, and look forward to achieving victory.

The Flames have not tasted victory in any kind of competition since last July, when they were in their best form of the season. Additionally, in their previous eight COSAFA Cup contests, they have only one victory to their name. It is interesting to note that they have been the superior team in the 21st century versus their Western competitors, winning six of their 12 matches while their opponents have only won four. On the other hand, in their most recent encounters, they have gone two matches without suffering a loss; however, they have drawn with both Mozambique and Ethiopia. Malawi has now scored two goals in their previous five matches, but they have also allowed eight goals to be scored against them.

The long-standing matches between the two neighboring communities have seen them go head-to-head 79 times in a variety of competitions. With 43 victories to their name, Zambia holds the upper hand in this competition. Malawi's record now stands at 19 wins, with 17 games ending in ties. In the course of the COSAFA Cup, they have faced each other eight times. In these contests, Zambia has a better record, having won four of the five matches, but Malawi is not far behind, having won three of the five matches, and there has only been one match that resulted in a draw. There have been fewer than 2.5 goals scored in four of the most recent five matches between these two teams, with Zambia failing to score three times and Malawi failing to score twice during that stretch of play. In their most recent four matches in all competitions, Zambia has earned three victories, tallying eight goals while only letting in four.

I believe that this will be a case where history will be repeated, and as a result, I am giving Zambia a 2-0 win. While Malawi appear to be having trouble scoring recently and winning matches, Zambia have not been an especially strong side, but they have played very well against inferior teams, which is an important consideration that could affect the outcome of this match.