The Malawi national women’s football team, the Scorchers, will face Lesotho’s Beautiful Flowers in two friendly matches on Friday, August 29, and Sunday, August 31, at Mpira Stadium in Chiwembe township, Blantyre.
The fixtures serve as crucial preparation for both teams ahead of their COSAFA and WAFCON qualification campaigns in October.
The Malawi team enters these friendlies hoping to reverse a concerning trend from 2025. In six international friendlies this year, they’ve managed just one victory—a 3-2 comeback win over Zambia after initially losing 2-0.
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Their other results include heavy defeats to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana (3-0 and 2-1 losses in April), followed by setbacks against Morocco (4-2) and Ghana (3-1) in June.
“Fazili confident despite mixed 2025 form”
Head coach Lovemore Fazili expressed confidence in his squad’s readiness, despite a challenging run of results this year.
The statistics paint a worrying picture: seven goals scored against 16 conceded across six matches. Both Fazili and his players will be eager to use these Lesotho fixtures to build confidence and momentum ahead of their crucial COSAFA campaign.
“The team is in good shape and everyone appears ready for tomorrow’s match and Sunday’s fixture,” Fazili said. “We’re focusing on strengthening all departments, combining experienced players with new talent.”
The coach emphasized his expectations for positive results, hinting at key players fans should watch. He highlighted Hope Chikunga from Ekhaya, Fanny Moyo and Faluna Umali from Mighty Wanderers, and Enelles Fabiano from Mzuzu City Hammers as players to keep an eye on.
However, the Scorchers will be without influential player Mary Chavinda, who missed the camp due to an injury sustained while playing for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women against Moyale Sisters in the NBM Women’s Premiership.
“Lesotho seeking assessment opportunity”
Lesotho head coach Shalane Lehohla views these matches as vital assessment tools ahead of COSAFA competition.
“We’ve been preparing for COSAFA since it was scheduled for October,” Lehohla explained. “These games are crucial—they’ll give us a clear picture of our preparation level and help identify areas needing improvement.”
With several regular players unavailable, Lehohla sees the matches as opportunities for fringe players to stake their claims. He also expects strong Malawian support at Mpira Stadium and has been preparing his team to handle the pressure of hostile crowds.
“We’ve been drilling the Beautiful Flowers to cope with fan pressure. These games will test our ability to adapt under such conditions,” he added.
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