By Wendy Mkandawire
The Malawi Women’s National Football Team, the Scorchers, have made history after beating defending champions Nigeria 3-2 last night in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, to secure their first-ever 3 points in the tournament.
Speaking during the post match interview, Scorchers Head Coach Lovemore Fazili said great commitment, self-confidence and a new tactical approach were the key factors behind the victory.
He said he told his players to give everything on the pitch, to make sure they scored and at the same time defended well and that worked according to plan.
Malawi’s Scorchers have made history in their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match, stunning 10-time champions Nigeria 3-2 to secure their first 3 points in Group C.
A brace from Temwa Chawinga and a goal from Tabitha Chawinga were enough for the debutants after a goalless first half and
Temwa Chawinga was named Player of the Match.
Faziri further said that he was satisfied with the team’s performance, noting they did not give Nigeria a chance to keep possession and dominate.
“The team was composed, and the girls showed confidence and full dedication to collect the maximum 3 points,” Fazili said.
However, Fazili cautioned the team against getting carried away and urged them to maintain the same momentum for the remaining two Group C fixtures against Egypt on 1 August and Zambia on 5 August 2026.
The result puts Malawi second in Group C. Zambia tops the group after thrashing Egypt 6-0, with Barbra Banda scoring 4 goals.
