Another friendly for Scorchers against Morocco in preparation for WAfCON qualifiers against Angola in October

* Coach Fazili names 24-member squad including 5 foreign-based players of captain Tabitha Chawinga, Rose Kabzere, Vanessa Chikupila, Sabina Thom, Benadetta Mkandawire

* A 5th international friendly in 2025 after two against Zambia in February and another two against South Africa in April

By Duncan Mlanjira

After four FIFA calendar open window for international matches for Malawi women’s national team in February and March, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has secured another for the Scorchers to prepare well for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) qualifier against Angola in October.

Coach has since named a 24-member that includes five foreign foreign-based players — captain Tabitha Chawinga (Olympique Lyon, France); 2022 COSAFA U-17 championship top scorer, Rose Kabzere (Montpellier-France); Vanessa Chikupila &  Benadetta Mkandawire (both Biik Kazygurt, Kazakhstan) and Sabina Thom (Lanchkhuti, Georgia).

Missing in the squad is US-based Temwa Chawinga, who plies her trade with Kansas City Currents and must probably be engaged with club commitments.

Fazili’s squad is dominated by six domestic league players from the country’s most successful football academy, Ascent Soccer — two defenders, Maureen Kenneth & Maggie Chavula; three midfielders, Leticia Chinyamula, Faith Chimzimu & Victoria Mkwala and attacker, Fatima Lali.

Kukoma Ntopwa Women has contributed four — goalkeeper, Mercy Sikelo; midfielders, Rose Alufandika & Olivia Phikani and midfielder, Funny Magombo while Silver Strikers Ladies also have four — goalkeeper, Ireen Sibande; defenders, Ireen Khumalo & Justina Jumbo and attacker, Chisomo Banda.

The others are from Nyasa Big Bullets Women (midfielders, Tendai Sani & Zainab Kapanda) and MDF Lionesses (goalkeeper, Yamikani Kaonga).

A statement from FAM says the Scorchers will face the Atlas Lionesses on Thursday, June 19, and are expected to depart on Sunday, June 15 for the fifth international friendly in 2025 after against Zambia in February and another two against South Africa in April.

They lost 0-1 against Zambia in Lusaka in the first match and won 3-2 in the second before lost both in South Africa — 0-3 in first friendly and 1-2 in the second.

In November last year, FAM president Fleetwood Haiya announced that he secured a deal with Morocco Football Federation to collaborate through friendly matches and capacity-building programs for referees, coaches and administrators.

This was after a meeting with Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football president, Fouzi Lekjaa, who is a FIFA Council member and Morocco’s Minister Delegate for Budget ahead of formalising a football development memorandum of understanding (MoU).

On his Facebook page, Haiya had said this was a big step towards transforming football in Malawi by learning from one of Africa’s best-performing football nations which is set to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) 2025.

“This partnership will significantly support our vision of transforming the game in Malawi. Morocco is excelling in football on the continent, and there is so much we can learn from their success.”

Morocco made history by reaching the semifinals of the FIFA World in Qatar 2022, the first African to achieve the feat as the others before only managed reached the quarterfinals.