Nearly 225 days after the cancellation of the Malawi versus Equatorial Guinea 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has announced that supporters holding physical tickets must travel to Lilongwe starting tomorrow for refund processing.
The match, which had been scheduled for October 19, 2025, at Bingu National Stadium, was cancelled about five hours before kickoff after Equatorial Guinea informed FAM and FIFA that they would not travel to Malawi.
In response, FAM says it initially offered ticket holders the option to use their tickets for other national team matches as a way of preserving value and maintaining supporter engagement. However, many supporters still did not utilise that option and are now seeking refunds.
According to the latest directive, the refund exercise will run from June 2 to June 4, 2026. Holders of physical tickets are required to present themselves at FAM offices at Bingu National Stadium for validation before refunds are processed. Online ticket purchases will be refunded directly to the mobile wallets used during payment.
FAM has also indicated that supporters who do not wish to claim refunds will be allowed to use their tickets for Malawi’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches scheduled for September 2026 at Bingu National Stadium.
The announcement was made this afternoon, leaving fans with very limited time to prepare for the travel requirement. Supporters from outside the capital are expected to bear transport and related costs, which in some cases may reduce the overall value of the refund, particularly for lower-priced tickets.
Critics have questioned the centralised nature of the process, arguing that decentralised or digital verification could have reduced the burden on supporters given that tickets were sold nationwide. However, FAM’s approach appears aimed at ensuring proper validation and preventing fraudulent claims.
As the refund window opens, attention will turn to how many supporters can complete the process within the short timeframe and whether the alternative arrangements will ease frustration among affected fans.
