* Her submission stood out for its creativity, originality, and full compliance with CAF kit regulations — earning her the top honours
* With the Scorchers qualifying for the WAfCON finals, we felt it was important to introduce a limited-edition kit to mark this historic achievement
* The public should expect the official unveiling of the jersey in the first week of March ahead of the WAfCON that kicks off March 17
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has awarded Blantyre-based designer Thandi Phiri for submitting a winning design of Malawi Scorchers’ Limited Edition Kit to be used by the national team at the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) Morocco 2026.
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The kit designed competition was launched on January 4, 2026 that invited creatives from across the country to submit innovative designs for the special Scorchers’ kit for their first-ever participation at the continental women’s championship.
FAM Media indicates that the contest attracted 137 entries nationwide which were assessed by a kit design competition committee comprising FAM executive committee member Felister Dossi, sports merchandise expert Shabil Ismail of Into Sports, and renowned marketer Twikale Chirwa, who also serves on the FAM competitions & marketing committee.
After a rigorous evaluation process, FAM indicates that Thandi Phiri’s submission “stood out for its creativity, originality, and full compliance with CAF kit regulations — earning her the top honours”.
Dossi is quoted by Fam.mw as describing the initiative as a milestone for Malawian football: “This is the first time we have gone to the public to solicit designs for a national team kit,” she said. “With the Scorchers qualifying for the WAfCON finals, we felt it was important to introduce a limited-edition kit to mark this historic achievement.
Dossi explained that 11 designs were shortlisted from the initial submissions before the final winner was selected, a process that they “assessed creativity and originality, but also strict compliance with CAF regulations governing kits worn at this level of competition.
“The winning design met all those requirements,” said Dossi, who added that the public should expect the official unveiling of the jersey in the first week of March ahead of the WAfCON that kicks off March 17.
Some of the designs submitted by other applicants that are trending on social media that did not make the grade
On her part, Thandi Phiri expressed gratitude — and surprise, saying she never expected to win: With so many entries, I never imagined I would be selected as the winner of the Scorchers AfCON jersey,” she said, while explaining that her concept was inspired by the Scorchers’ historic journey to the continental finals.
“I started by researching how far the team has come — the losses, the wins, and the long journey of building the squad. I focused on symbols of femininity, elements of the Malawi sun from our flag, and representations of women, sport, and the people supporting the team back home.”
Signing the declaration that transfers all copyrights and intellectual property rights to FAM
The Scorchers secured qualification for the WAfCON by defeating Angola 2–0 on aggregate, marking the first-ever appearance of the team at the tournament finals where they have been drawn with defending champions Nigeria, North Africans Egypt and neighbours Zambia.
Their opening match will be against the Super Falcons from Nigeria on March 18 — followed by Egypt on March 21 and wrapping up Group C against Zambia on March 24 — a tough pool, dubbed ‘Group of Death’ that has three Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) members.
Meanwhile, the Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili has included National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Women’s Premiership top goalscorer, Deborah Henry, in his 32-member provisional squad to begin camp today ahead of the COSAFA Women’s Championship scheduled for South Africa from February 18 to March 1.
Deborah Henry
Egypt based midfielder Vanessa Cikupila leads the foreign based contingent, which also includes defender Chimwemwe Madise of TP Mazembe in DR Congo, Tendai Sani of ZISD, and Chisomo Banda from Konkola Blades Queens.
The COSAFA Women’s Championship is expected to provide valuable competitive match exposure for the Scorchers as they fine tune preparations for their historic participation at the continental finals.
The full list of the provisional squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Mercy Sikelo (Kukoma Ntopwa), Thoko Mwase & Bridget Malemia (Nyasa Big Bullets Women), Yamikani Kaonga (MDF Lionesses), Martha Mbewe (Civil Service Women), Jane Nyirenda (Topik Academy), Esther Maulidi (Mighty Wanderers Queens);
Defenders: Chimwemwe Madise (TP Mazembe), Ireen Khumalo, Justina Jumbo & Tionge Phiri (Silver Strikers Ladies), Rose Alufandika (Kukoma Ntopwa), Maggie Chavula & Alinafe Majora (Ascent Soccer), Doreen Dickson (MDF Lionesses), Benadetta Mkandawire (Nyasa Big Bullets Women), Gladys Joseph (Civil Service Women), Shilla Mangani (Mighty Wanderers Queens);
Midfielders: Madina Nguluwe (Silver Strikers), Jessie Yosefe (Civil Service Women), Asimenye Simwaka & Catherine Kachala (MDF Lionesses), Lyna James (Nyasa Big Bullets), Funny Magombo (Kukoma Ntopwa);
Forwards: Deborah Henry & Chikondi Gondwe (Silver Strikers), Mary Chavinda (Nyasa Big Bullets Women), Vitumbiko Mkandawire (Civil Service Women), Sabina Thom (Phoenix Football Feminin, Marrakech), Vanessa Chikupila (Palm Hills Women’s FC), Tendai Sani (ZISD), Chisomo Banda (Konkola Blades Queens).
Coach Fazili