Malawi’s meteoric rise to the top of Africa’s football hierarchy

IN RABAT, MOROCCO

Days ago, few people could have imagined that Malawi women’s national football team, christened ‘Scorchers’ would one day stand on the brink of history in African football.

Many expected Malawi, who are ranked 153rd globally by Fifa, to play bridesmaid in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), being inexperienced débutantes and the lowest ranked side in the tournament. But the Scorchers have exceeded expectations.

Led by Chawinga sisters Temwa and captain Tabitha, Malawi’s Scorchers stormed Wafcon final on their debut on the continental stage after a 3-1 victory over Algeria at Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday. Coached by Lovemore Fazili, Malawi were placed in a tough Group ‘C’ alongside defending champions Nigeria, regional rivals Zambia and Egypt. The team finished top of the group on six points, the same as Nigeria, who had a goal difference of +4, and Zambia (+6).

Malawi, with a goal difference of +2, went through as group winners as per the tournament’s regulations, which prioritise head-to-head results as the first tiebreaker rather than overall goal difference. Malawi pulled off major upsets, beating Nigeria 3-2 in their opening match, and winning 3-1 against Egypt to reach the quarter-finals despite a narrow 2-1 loss to Zambia in their last group stage match.

In the quarter-finals, they beat Ghana 2-1, and overcame Algeria 3-1 in the semis with three goals from Temwa and Tabitha to book a date with Cameroon in yesterday’s final. Before yesterday’s final, Temwa had scored five goals in total, moving her level with Zambia’s Barbara Banda at the top of the scoring charts. By qualifying for the semis, Malawi effectively booked a place in the 202 Fifa Women’s World Cup alongside hosts Morocco, Cameroon and Algeria.

Football Association of Malawi’s president, Fleetwood Haiya, says the team’s historic run in the 2026 Wafcon is the result of long-term investment in youth development, with the support of CAF and Fifa.

Read: 2026 Wafcon: Heavy loss to Morocco leaves Harambee Starlets with mountain to climb

“Fifa believed in us. (Fifa president) Gianni Infantino believed in our project and supported us. Caf president Patrice Motsepe also believed in the youth and introduced Caf school tournaments, where most of our players have come through,” Haiya says.

“You can see that our team has many players under the age of 20. They are coming from these tournaments. We built our team around two or three strong players and made sure we blended them properly with the youngsters, thanks to the technical team.” Chawinga sisters have been at the heart of the team’s steady rise. Temwa, 28, is the younger of the two sisters and plays for Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in USA. Tabitha Chawinga, 30, is captain of the Scorchers and plays for French giants Lyon, one of Europe’s most successful women’s football clubs. She has established herself at the highest level in European football, helping Lyon win the French league in 2025 and in 2026. She played in the 2026 Uefa Women’s Champions League final with Lyon.

“Reaching the final is a big thing for the young girls and the team as a whole. I am getting old, and at some point I will stop playing football, especially for the national team. My dream was to qualify for the Fifa World Cup and play alongside my sister, and now we have even made it to the final. We believed in God, and also played our part,” said Tabitha.

Temwa says the team had silenced their doubters, and their dream is to conquer Africa rather than win individual accolades.

“We are so happy because many people did not believe we could perform in this tournament. We have shocked the continent and shown the whole world that Malawi has good players. The Golden Boot is not on my mind; we want to win the trophy. My mind is focused on winning the trophy. I look up to my eldest sister,” Temwa said.

Asiminya Simwaka has also been a solid rock in Malawi’s midfield. Her journey to Wafcon has been anything but ordinary. Simwaka had only recently represented Malawi in athletics at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, competing in women’s 100 metres, 200m , and the 400m. She missed Malawi’s group-stage matches while she was away at the Commonwealth Games, but joined the squad later after the ‘Club Games’ ended in Glasgow.

Of Malawi’s 11 players who started against Algeria, six play their club football at home. Another five are based abroad in France, the Democratic Republic of Congo, USA, Sweden, Egypt and Zambia. The team is a mix of youth and experience. The age gap between the oldest and youngest players in the squad is 17 years. The oldest is 35 and the youngest 18. Only four of the 11 starters are aged 30 and above, while the remaining seven are under 30, a blend that gives the side both the experience of seasoned internationals and the energy of a younger generation.

The team’s early years were marked by limited opportunities and difficult results. The Scorchers made their first appearance in African championship qualifiers in 2004, advancing past Uganda by walkover before losing 9-0 on aggregate to Ethiopia.

In 2006, Malawi returned to qualifying and earned their first point in the competition with a goalless draw against Benin. As time went by, the team started gaining experience through the (Southern Africa Football Associations) Cosafa Women’s Championship. The breakthrough came in 2011, when Malawi reached the semifinals of the Cosafa Cup for the first time. The team eventually finished fourth, but the campaign offered a glimpse of what might eventually become possible.

The following year brought another landmark. Malawi recorded their first victory in continental qualification, beating neighbours Zambia 4–2 on aggregate after overturning a heavy first-leg defeat. Still, progress was uneven. Limited fixtures and resources meant there were periods when the team played very little international football, with some years featuring only a handful of matches.

That began to change as the Cosafa Women’s Championship became an increasingly important platform. More matches meant more experience, and experience began turning into belief. The team’s transformation gathered pace in 2019; they played in the 2020 Olympic Games qualifiers for the first time and beat Mozambique 11–1 in the first leg and triumphed 3-0 in the return leg. Later that year, the Scorchers recorded a 13–0 victory over Comoros at the Cosafa Championship.

In January 2020, the team officially adopted the nickname “the Scorchers,” distinguishing them from Malawi’s men’s team, the Flames. The results continued to improve. Malawi reached Cosafa Cup final in 2021, narrowly losing to Tanzania 1-0. Two years later came another breakthrough. The Scorchers went unbeaten at the 2023 Cosafa Cup, and lifted the trophy for the first time.

That title was more than silverware. It gave Malawi greater visibility, greater confidence and more opportunities to play against stronger sides. Although the team did not participate in the 2024 Wafcon qualifiers, their home federation continued planning for international matches. Last year alone, the Scorchers played a record eight international friendlies. Then came the moment the country had been waiting for. To qualify for the 2026 Wafcon, Malawi did not have to play their first-round tie after their opponents, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), withdrew and conceded a walkover.

In the final qualifying round, Malawi beat Angola 2-0 on aggregate. After a goalless draw in the first leg, the Scorchers won the return leg 2-0 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, both goals coming from defender Faith Chimzimu.

It was a milestone more than two decades in the making. For Malawi, that patience is now producing a historic reward.

The journey also required support off the pitch. Before departing for Morocco, the Scorchers received backing through a fundraising campaign organised by their federation. The campaign targeted the equivalent of Sh75 million to help meet the team’s accommodation, camping and air-travel costs.

A send-off and fundraising dinner was held at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on July 10, and the campaign subsequently reached its target.

Malawian government committed the equivalent of Sh45 million towards the team’s participation, while Malawi’s First Lady Gertrude Mutharika contributed Sh746, 000 for team jerseys. A team that once struggled simply to compete has reached the continental final on its debut. A nation that had never qualified for Fifa Women’s World Cup is now preparing to compete next year in Brazil. And Chawinga sisters Temwa and Tabitha have become the face of progress in Malawi women’s football.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.

Click here to read article