The Scorchers Have Made Their Case

The Malawi Scorchers arrived in Morocco ranked 153rd in the world by FIFA. This was Malawi’s stamp on arrival: ‘worst’ by A MILE!

Malawi had never played at WAFCON before.

They were entering a group containing Nigeria — the most successful nation in the history of African women’s football — alongside Zambia and Egypt.

By almost every conventional measure, Malawi were supposed to be here to ‘participate’.

Instead, they left as the second-best team in Africa — and with a ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.

That deserves to be understood for what it is.

They announced themselves against Nigeria

Malawi’s first WAFCON match was against Nigeria.

Not an easy introduction. Not an opportunity to settle into tournament football.

Nigeria.

And Malawi beat them 3–2.

Temwa Chaŵinga scored twice. Tabitha Chaŵinga scored once.

In 90 minutes, the Scorchers went from tournament debutants to a team the continent had to take seriously.

Then they beat Egypt 3–1.

They suffered their first defeat against Zambia, losing 2–1, but still emerged from a chaotic Group C at the top of the group.

Then came Ghana.

Malawi fell behind.

Temwa equalised.

And in the 79th minute, Rose Kadzere scored the goal that sent Malawi to its first FIFA Women’s World Cup.

A few days later, Malawi beat Algeria 3–1 in the semi-final.

Six matches.

Four victories.

Two defeats.

A World Cup qualification.

A WAFCON silver medal.

From 153rd in the world.

Cameroon figured Malawi out

There is also something to learn from the final.

Cameroon deserved their victory.

They had watched Malawi’s tournament. They understood where the danger came from, how quickly Malawi wanted to turn broken play into attacks, and how devastating the Chaŵinga sisters could be when given space.

They did not give Malawi the game Malawi wanted.

Cameroon controlled the spaces, disrupted Malawi’s transitions and prevented the Scorchers from repeatedly releasing their most dangerous players into open field.

By half-time, Cameroon led 3–0.

Malawi never recovered.

That is football.

At this level, opponents study you.

The better you become, the more seriously teams prepare for you.

And perhaps that is one of the greatest compliments this Malawi team received in Morocco: by the final, nobody was underestimating the Scorchers anymore.

The Chaŵingas are superstars. Now look at what is coming behind them.

For years, Temwa and Tabitha Chaŵinga have carried the flag for Malawian women’s football internationally.

Tabitha became a pioneer.

Temwa became one of the best forwards in world football.

Between them, they scored nine of Malawi’s 12 goals before the final. Their careers have already demonstrated what can happen when Malawian talent gets access to professional environments, coaching and competition.

But perhaps one of the most important things WAFCON showed us is that the story does not end with the Chaŵingas.

Look at Faith Chinzimu.

She is 19 years old.

This is the same Faith who scored twice in two minutes against Angola in October 2025 to secure Malawi’s first-ever WAFCON qualification.

And in the final, against Cameroon, she worked.

End-to-end.

Box-to-box.

Winning ground, recovering, carrying, competing and trying to connect Malawi’s phases of play.

She looked like a footballer who belonged in an African final.

At nineteen.

That matters.

Because Faith represents the question Malawi should now be asking:

How many more Faith Chinzimus are out there?

We missed Rose

We also missed Rose Kadzere in the final.

Kadzere had started throughout Malawi’s run and scored twice — including the 79th-minute winner against Ghana that secured World Cup qualification.

Her red card in the semi-final against Algeria meant Malawi entered the biggest match in its history without one of the players who had helped get it there.

Discipline matters.

Tournament management matters.

And as this team grows into a side that expects to compete at this level, those are lessons that will travel with them.

But Rose should leave this tournament remembering something much bigger than one card:

she scored the goal that took Malawi to the World Cup.

Nobody can take that away from her.

And then there was Simwaka

Asimenye Simwaka deserves her flowers too.

Her work rate, movement and willingness to keep competing were visible throughout the final.

And that is part of what this tournament revealed.

This was never eleven players and two famous sisters.

In the final, Malawi started with Mercy Sikelo, Chimwemwe Madise, Rose Alufandika, Ireen Khumalo, Benadetta Mkandawire, Faith Chinzimu, Chikondi Gondwe, Asimenye Simwaka, Letticia Chinyamula, Temwa Chaŵinga and Tabitha Chaŵinga.

Tendai Sani, Sarah Mulimbika and Vanessa Chikupila were also called upon as Malawi tried to change the match.

Every one of them can say something very few Malawian footballers in history have ever been able to say:

I played in an African championship final.

And around them was an entire squad that got Malawi there.

Mercy Sikelo made save after save throughout this tournament.

The defensive unit absorbed extraordinary pressure.

The midfield ran.

The forwards chased.

Players came off the bench and changed games.

Players played through difficult game states.

Players adapted after cards, goals conceded and tactical changes.

This was a team.

Now Malawi has a decision to make

The wrong lesson from this tournament would be:

“We have Temwa and Tabitha.”

We do.

And they are extraordinary.

The better lesson is:

Malawi produces footballers.

We already had evidence.

The Scorchers won the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship.

Now they have provided considerably more.

They qualified for WAFCON for the first time.

They beat Nigeria.

They reached the WAFCON final on debut.

They qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

They finished second in Africa.

At some point, success stops being a surprise and starts becoming evidence.

This is evidence.

Invest in the Girls

Malawi should take women’s football seriously.

Not only at senior national-team level.

At grassroots level.

In schools.

In academies.

In regional leagues.

In coaching.

In pitches and training facilities.

In strength and conditioning.

In nutrition.

In scouting.

In sports science.

In domestic club football.

In pathways that allow a talented girl somewhere in Rumphi, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba, Mzuzu, Mangochi or any other corner of the country to be identified early enough to discover just how good she can become.

Because we now know where that pathway can lead.

Professional contracts.

International careers.

Continental championships.

World Cups.

The Chaŵinga sisters have already demonstrated that football can be a serious global career for a Malawian woman.

Faith Chinzimu is demonstrating it again.

Rose Kadzere is demonstrating it.

This generation is making the economic and sporting case for the generation behind them.

The question is whether Malawi will build the system necessary to find those girls.

153rd to second in Africa

There will be disappointment about the final.

There should be.

Elite athletes do not reach finals hoping merely to participate in them.

But perspective matters.

A few weeks ago, Malawi had never played a single WAFCON match.

Today, Malawi are WAFCON silver medallists and FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

They played six matches and lost only two.

They beat Nigeria.

They beat Egypt.

They beat Ghana.

They beat Algeria.

They gave us Faith.

They gave us Rose.

They gave us Mercy.

They gave us Simwaka.

They gave another generation of Malawian girls something extraordinarily powerful:

proof.

Proof that a Malawian woman can make a career from football.

Proof that Malawi can compete with Africa’s established football nations.

Proof that investment in women’s football can produce returns.

And proof that the Chaŵinga sisters do not have to be an anomaly.

They can be the beginning.

Brazil is next.

Malawi is still behind you, Scorchers.

Rest. Learn. Build. Come back stronger. 🇲🇼

See you at the World Cup!