Malawi’s VALORANT team showed real character in the second round of the lower bracket at the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 VALORANT: Sub-Saharan Africa Online Qualifiers, bouncing back with a much stronger performance against Mali after an earlier setback against Sudan.
The day didn’t start well.
Malawi opened in the upper bracket and fell 3–13 to Sudan in a match where things never fully came together. Comms were shaky, timings were off, and the team struggled to build momentum early. By the time they found their footing, Sudan had already taken control and Malawi couldn’t recover in time.
But the lower bracket told a different story.
With the tournament structure running as a 5v5 double-elimination format, there was still another chance — and Malawi made it count.
Against Mali, the team looked more settled and more confident. Rotations were cleaner, decisions were quicker, and there was better trust across the squad. Instead of forcing rounds, they played with more patience and started winning the small moments that shift games.
It wasn’t flawless, but it was the kind of response teams need in long tournaments — take the loss, reset, improve, move on.
There’s still work to do: sharper comms, better adjustments under pressure, and cutting out costly mistakes. But Malawi stays alive, and the run continues.
Next up: 🇲🇼 Malawi vs 🇸🇳 Senegal🕑 Today @ 2:00 PM CAT
Watch live on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/live/4V20varn-M8?si=xD5JJK11jlqBrXvd