Mhango missed a flight from South Africa to Malawi, prompting Flames coach Patrick Mabedi to drop him from the squad.
He told the media in Malawi that Mhango is ruled out of the match as it will be difficult for the Moroka Swallows striker to join the squad.
“Gaba has missed a flight and it will be very difficult for him to join the squad because of flight connections,” said Mabedi.
Mhango was supposed to meet his teammates in Addis Ababa, but he did not make it because he missed the flight from South Africa’s OR Tambo Airport to Ethiopia on Sunday.
But Mhango said he is ready to play for the team if there is another alternative for him to leave South Africa for Liberia.
He said he missed the flight because, at first, he thought his flight was at 1 p.m., but after arriving at the airport, he was told the flight was at 11 a.m.
Mabedi recalled Mhango after snubbing him in the Flames’ last two 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Ethiopia and Guinea earlier this year.
Malawi has travelled to Liberia for the opening Group H match on November 17 before hosting Tunisia at Bigu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi, on Tuesday, November 21.
The Flames left the country on Monday through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.
