* She came under Fazili’s radar when she ended the first round of the NBM Women’s Premiership with 14 goals
* And made it in Fazili’s 32-member provisional squad that prepared for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) qualifying matches against Angola
* The NBM Women’s Premiership Golden Boot title winner with 23 goals from 18 games is also a nominee of the Player of the Season award
By Duncan Mlanjira
Inaugural champions of National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Women’s Premiership, Silver Strikers Ladies’ scoring machine, Deborah Henry, has made it into coach Lovemore Fazili’s final 24-member squad for Malawi Scorchers’ COSAFA Women’s Championship that has departed today for South Africa for the tournament kicking off on Wednesday, February 18-March 1.
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Deborah came under Fazili’s radar when she ended the first round of the NBM Women’s Premiership with 14 goals and was also the most decorated Player of the Match accolade winner.
She made it in Fazili’s 32-member provisional squad that prepared for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) qualifying matches against Angola but was left on the peripheral.
This time, the NBM Women’s Premiership Golden Boot title winner with 23 goals from 18 games and is nominee of the Player of the Season award, makes the final squad for her to fight for a regular call up into the Scorchers and expose her more for consideration into the WAfCON 2026 squad.
Fazili has also included four players who were part of the Young Scorchers that progressed to the final round of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026 qualifiers. These are Ireen Khumalo of Silver Ladies; Leticia Chinyamula of the NBM Women’s Premiership runners-up, Ascent Soccer and 6th-placed Kukoma Ntopwa’s Olivia Phikani & Sarah Mlimbika.
Leticia Chinyamula
The Young Scorchers captain Leticia Chinyamula and Ireen Khumalo are the two other nominees of the NBM Women’s Premiership Player of the Season. Deborah is recognised for her outstanding season whose 23 goals played a pivotal role in guiding Silver Strikers Ladies to the inaugural Premiership title.
Leticia Chinyamula was instrumental for Ascent Soccer, guiding the team to a second-place finish and ending the season as the second-highest goal scorer with 17 goals and earned three Player of the Match awards, underlining her influence and consistency throughout the campaign.
Ireen Khumalo was the pillar of the champions Silver Ladies’ defensive line, featuring in 17 of 18 matches and recording nine clean sheets. Beyond her defensive solidity, she was also influential going forward, contributing to eight goals during the season.
Deborah and Khumalo helped the Bankers conclud the NBM Women’s Premiership first round on a 100% winning record and finished the season with just two losses.
Meanwhile, Fazili’s squad also include Egypt-based midfielder Vanessa Chikupila leading the foreign-based contingent, which also features defender Chimwemwe Madise of TP Mazembe Women, Tendai Sani of ZISD in Zambia, and Chisomo Banda of Zambia’s Konkola Blades Queens.
The full final squad has:
Goalkeepers: Mercy Sikelo (Kukoma Ntopwa), Yamikani Kaonga (MDF Lionesses), Esther Maulidi (Mighty Wanderers Queens);
Defenders: Chimwemwe Madise (TP Mazembe), Ireen Khumalo & Tionge Phiri (Silver Strikers Ladies), Rose Alufandika & Olivia Phikani (Kukoma Ntopwa), Maggie Chavula & Maureen Kenneth (Ascent Soccer), Doreen Dickson (MDF Lionesses), Benadetta Mkandawire (Nyasa Big Bullets Women);
Midfielders: Madina Nguluwe (Silver Strikers Ladies), Sarah Mlimbika & Funny Magombo (Kukoma Ntopwa), Leticia Chinyamula (Ascent Soccer), Lyna James (Nyasa Big Bullets), Tendai Sani (ZISD);
Forwards: Deborah Henry & Chikondi Gondwe (Silver Strikers Ladies), Mary Chavinda (Nyasa Big Bullets Women), Vitumbiko Mkandawire (Civil Service Women), Vanessa Chikupila (Palm Hills Women’s FC), Chisomo Banda (Konkola Blades Queens).
The Scorchers are in Group A alongside hosts South Africa, Angola and Lesotho. They open their title campaign in Polokwane on Wednesday against the hosts, which is a potential Group A decider.
The two nations were also in same group in the 2023 edition in which the Scorchers won 4-3 — which also proved to be a decider for Malawi’s qualification to the semifinals on their way to lifting the title for the first time.
The encounter comes after the Banyana Banyana beat the Scorchers 2-0 each in two FIFA Open Window for friendlies back in April last year, that were organised as preparations against Angola for the WAfCON qualifiers last October.
The teams have clashed six times in the COSAFA Women’s Championship since 2018, with South Africa winning four, and Malawi the last two.
* Weather update
