The Malawi boys and girls teams have opened their CAF African Schools Football Championship COSAFA Qualifier campaign on a bright note after recording victories over Lesotho in their opening matches.
The boys started fast and with purpose. Innocent Jauma struck in the 3rd minute and Intias Adam added another in the 8th minute to give Malawi early control. Lesotho pulled one back in the 75th minute through Thapelo Pitsi but Malawi held on to claim a 2-1 victory that reflects both promise and room for improvement.
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Head coach Joseph Malizani described the performance as narrow but acceptable as they prepare for their second fixture against Botswana tomorrow.
“We are playing a tough game tomorrow and we need to do better in attack. We need to score more goals if we are to finish on top of the table,” he said.
On the girls side, Malawi showed no mercy as they dominated Lesotho from start to finish. They produced a 5-0 victory through goals from Tryness Chawala, Flora Banda, Sifati Chitenje, Eunice Sitchaya and Talandira Kachala.
Coach Bridget Chirwa praised her team for responding well after a slow start.
“We started slow but I like how the girls reacted to my advice. I do not know how Botswana play but after watching them today, we will plan on their tactics and we are hoping to score even more goals against them tomorrow,” she said.
The wins mark a confident beginning for Malawi as they attempt to rewrite recent history. For the past three years, both the boys and girls teams have finished within touching distance of the title. They return to Stellenbosch with one ambition. To finally turn silver into gold.
In the boys category, Malawi finished as runners up in 2022 and 2023 before reaching the semifinals last year. The girls finished third in 2022, exited in the group stage in 2023 and returned in 2024 to finish as runners up. Their consistency has made Malawi one of the tournament favourites in 2025.
Both coaches remain confident that this year’s squad has the quality and hunger to push further and earn a place at the Continental Finals.
Malawi’s Track Record
Boys: 2022 runners up, 2023 runners up, 2024 semifinals
Girls: 2022 third, 2023 group stage, 2024 runners up
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