Malawi national beach soccer team
National sports team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Malawi national beach soccer team represents Malawi in international beach soccer and is controlled by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM).
| Association | Football Association of Malawi | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | Confederation of African Football | ||
| Head coach | Willy Kumilambe | ||
| Captain | Isaac Kajam | ||
| FIFA code | MWI | ||
| BSWW ranking | 62  4 (1 June 2026)[1] | ||
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| First international | |||
 Mauritius 3–7 Malawi  (Roche Caiman, Seychelles; April 9, 2015) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Malawi 8–3 Seychelles  (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; November 23, 2018) Seychelles 2–7 Malawi (Durban, South Africa; March 20, 2024) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Madagascar 9–4 Malawi (Roche Caiman, Seychelles; April 11, 2015)  Senegal 6–1 Malawi (Hurghada, Egypt; October 21, 2024) Malawi 6–11 Mauritania  (Hurghada, Egypt; October 22, 2024) | |||
| Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2022) | ||
| Best result | Sixth Place (2022) | ||
| COSAFA Beach Soccer Championship | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2015) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2015) | ||
History
Established in 2015, the team made its international debut at the inaugural COSAFA Beach Soccer Championship in Seychelles. It played its first match on 9 April, defeating Mauritius 7–3, before falling to the hosts in extra time in its second outing.[2][3] The side advanced to the final, where it was defeated by Madagascar to finish as runners-up and claim the silver medal.[4]
The team remained active in regional competition, notably participating in the Copa Dar es Salaam, where it finished runners-up in 2017 before exiting at the group stage in both 2018 and 2019.[5]
In 2022, Malawi entered the qualifiers for the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. It defeated Tanzania on the away goals rule (3–2 home win and 5–6 away loss, 8–8 on aggregate) to secure qualification.[6] At the final tournament in Vilankulo, Mozambique, the team placed sixth overall, finishing third in its group before losing on penalties to Uganda in the fifth-place play-off.
The team returned to the international stage at the 2023 COSAFA Beach Soccer Championship, where it secured a third-place finish.[7][8] It subsequently achieved back-to-back qualification for the 2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations after eliminating Burundi in the qualifiers.[9] At the finals, the team finished seventh, losing all group matches before defeating Tanzania in the seventh-place play-off.[10]
In January 2026, the federation announced plans to construct a dedicated beach soccer stadium in Lilongwe as part of efforts to professionalize the sport and support national team preparations for upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.[11][12]
Technical Panel
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Willy Kumilambe[13] |
| Assistant coach | Edwin Mtachi |
| Analyst | Jayane Jella |
| Goalkeeper coach | Uppe Zalira |
| Team doctor | Dr Calcius Mkandawire |
| Team manager | Andy Khunga |
| Technical director | Patricio Kulemeka |
| Equipment manager | Mike Bwanali |
Players
Current squad
The following 17 players were called up for the inaugural 2025 CECAFA Beach Soccer Championship, scheduled for July 16–20 in Mombasa, Kenya.[14]
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Competitive record
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
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Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations
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COSAFA Beach Soccer Championship
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Copa Dar es Salaam
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