Scorchers Stand on Edge of WAFCON History

Since time immemorial, the Malawi women’s national football team, the Scorchers, have dreamed of setting foot on the continent’s biggest stage, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

For decades, the dream has flickered but never burned bright enough. Now, as October 28, 2025 arrives, history beckons at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, where the Scorchers face Angola in the decisive qualification clash that could rewrite their story.

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The fixture comes just five days after a tense goalless draw in Luanda at the Estádio 11 de Novembro stadium on October 23. In that first leg, the Scorchers displayed discipline and determination but fell short of converting their dominance into goals.

Head coach Lovemore Fazili believes that chapter is behind them. His voice, carried a simple message: Malawi is ready.

“Everything has been done. We have trained in every aspect of the game and everyone is ready. We are confident and prepared,” he said.

Fazili admitted that his side squandered chances in Angola but refused to dwell on regret.

“We found a different team than what we had been studying,” he explained. “They had new players we had not prepared for, but we were still ready. We could have killed the game there in Luanda. Still, I promise a win tomorrow. It is a must-win game, and we are going to make Malawians happy.”
The coach confirmed that there will be no change in the team’s game plan. The Scorchers will approach the return leg with attacking intent. There are no injury concerns in camp, and every player is available for selection.

Recognizing the magnitude of the moment, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) announced that entry to the stadium will be free of charge, encouraging fans across the city to come and stand behind the team.

The roar of a packed stadium, the chants, all of it could be the twelfth player that lifts the Scorchers when pressure set in.

For Malawi, this is more than a match. It is an opportunity to etch a new chapter into women’s football, to move from the margins of potential into the pages of achievement. Should the Scorchers secure qualification for the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, it would mark their first-ever appearance at the continental tournament.

The team’s stars, Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, have dazzled across Europe and Asia, collecting accolades in club football, yet even their glittering careers have lacked the touch of continental representation except for the latter as she won the COSAFA 2023 edition with the team (However, Temwa is also not with the team as she picked an injury playing for her club Kansas Current in the United States of America.

As the sun scorches over Lilongwe on match day, the air will carry more than just expectation. It will carry hope, the hope that this generation of Scorchers will do what no other Malawian side has done before. The hope that the anthem will rise, not just as a prelude to a game, but as the overture to history.