The Malawi men’s Under-15s will face Hungary in the Tier C round of 32 at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026 in Baku on Wednesday.
The encounter will kick off at 12:45 Azerbaijan time (10:45 in Malawi) on Pitch 1A at the Hovsan Competition Complex, as Joseph Malizani’s side open their Tournament Stage campaign.
Malawi advanced to Tier C after finishing third in Group B with nine points from five matches, registering victories over Chinese Taipei, Oman and Suriname before suffering defeats to Algeria and Argentina in their final two fixtures on Monday. The Junior Flames scored 11 goals and conceded 12 during the group stage, with five different players finding the net.
Takutzwa Maluwe leads Malawi’s scoring chart with five goals, having struck twice in the opening 3-2 victory over Chinese Taipei before finding the net against Oman, Suriname and Argentina. Jazaka Amidu and Elisha Nyirenda have scored twice each, while Lameck Kamanga and Sipho Ngwira have contributed one goal apiece.
Malawi’s three group-stage victories all came after falling behind, highlighting the team’s ability to recover from difficult starts against Chinese Taipei, Oman and Suriname. Wednesday’s encounter against Hungary presents another challenge for Malizani’s side, who will be seeking to build on their three victories as they enter the next phase of the competition.
The team will compete in Tier C alongside 31 other nations, with the round of 32 featuring 16 matches across the Hovsan Competition Complex. Elsewhere in the tier, France will face Trinidad and Tobago, Japan take on Mozambique, Chile meet hosts Azerbaijan, while Scotland play Nicaragua.
The Tournament Stage continues on Thursday, 29 October, with the winner of Malawi’s encounter against Hungary facing either Luxembourg or Liberia in the Tier C round of 16, while the losing sides will meet in the corresponding placement fixture.
