The COSAFA Cup match between Zambia and Malawi held on July 6th, 2023, witnessed both teams exhibiting a high level of competitiveness resulting in a closely contested match. In a rather surprising turn of events, the away team, Malawi, emerged victorious scoring a solitary goal against the home team, Zambia.

Malawi's impactful execution of offense allowed them to score as early as the 16th minute of the first half, unfortunately for Zambia, this goal turned out to be the only one in the match. This early lead provided Malawi a psychological advantage which they maintained throughout the game.

Consistent with the match statistics, the game was equally balanced with Zambia managing nine corner kicks against Malawi's eight. This is an indicator of Zambia's initiative and offensive endeavours but their inability to convert these chances into goals ultimately cost them the match. However, it should be noted that while Zambia had more opportunities with set pieces, they were unable to capitalize on these, reflecting a potential deficiency in their offensive play.

The disciplinary aspect of the game also played a significant part in the match dynamics. Zambia received two yellow cards, one in each half of the game, which may have contributed to their anxiousness and possibly impacted the team's overall cohesion. On the other hand, Malawi stayed disciplined throughout the match receiving no yellow cards, presumably aiding their concentration and focus.

Moreover, Zambia was offside three times compared to Malawi's single offside. These statistical deductions suggest that Zambia was arguably the more aggressive team, albeit at the cost of precision and effective finishing. The increased offside incidences indicate an eagerness from Zambia to find the back of the net, however, their eagerness often outweighed their timing resulting in lost attacking opportunities.

Evaluating the foul count, Malawi committed more fouls (9) in comparison to Zambia's seven. This heightened foul count for Malawi might have been an effort to disrupt Zambia's rhythm and control the pace of the match.

In conclusion, Malawi's early goal combined with their superior discipline and calculated aggression allowed them to control the match and ultimately emerge as the winners. On the other hand, Zambia failed to utilize their opportunities effectively, particularly suffering in set-pieces and their impetuous attacking approach, receiving yellow cards and offsides. They would certainly need to work on their cohesion, timing, and discipline in future matches.

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