The celebration at the breakfast event in Lilongwe
* As the team’s and national women’s elite league’s sponsors National Bank of Malawi rewards them with K500 million
* We thank National Bank for its commitment to the women’s game — FAM president Fleetwood Haiya
Maravi Express
National Bank of Malawi, official sponsors of Malawi women national football team and the national women’s elite league, the NBM Women’s Premiership, have rewarded the Scorchers with K500 million for their historic performance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) Morocco 2026.
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This follows another landmark K245 million reward that NBS Bank pledged as soon as the Scorchers qualified for their historic FIFA Womens World Cup Brazil 2027-qualification.
On their return from Morocco, President Arthur Peter Mutharika also reward K5 million to each of the Scorchers players, which was announced when the First Lady Gertrude Mutharika hosted the squad to a luncheon at the State House.
At a celebratory breakfast on Saturday, NBM’s Head of Marketing, Akossa Hiwa indicated that the honour was in recognition of the Scorchers finishing as runners-up in their debut appearance at the WAfCON that also saw them qualify for the World Cup.
She stated that the bank was celebrating the team’s achievement and also to reaffirm its commitment to women’s football and to continue supporting the team as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2027.
Present at the breakfast was Malawi National Council of Sports acting Chief Executive Officer, Ivy Chinangwa, who hailed the bank’s support, saying the Scorchers’ success demonstrated the difference sustained investment could make in women’s sport.
“The Scorchers’ remarkable performance demonstrates that with the right investment, support and commitment, Malawian athletes and teams can compete successfully at the highest level,” Chinangwa said.
She highlighted that the team’s achievement should encourage more investment in women’s sport, particularly in programmes that provide athletes with the resources and support needed to compete internationally.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president, Fleetwood Haiya described National Bank’s continued backing as an important contribution to the development of women’s football.
“We thank National Bank for its commitment to the women’s game,” he said. “The support is a major boost to the continued development of women’s football in Malawi.”
MultiChoice rewarded the team with DStv kits
National Bank’s entry into the country’s women football transformed the competitive edge which saw Silver Strikers Ladies clinching the inaugural title that qualified them for the CAF Women’s Champions League-COSAFA Qualifier being played in Botswana.
Among the Bankers are five of the Scorchers who were at the WAfCON — Khumalo, who played a huge role in the Malawi Scorchers’ defence in Morocco flew straight to Gaborone, Botswana along with three others, — Ireen Khumalo, Chikondi Gondwe, Tionge Phiri, Madyina Ngulube and Deborah Henry.
Chikondi Gondwe, Tionge Phiri, Madyina Ngulube, Deborah Henry and Ireen Khumalo
Khumalo was named Player of the Match following her stunning free kick and overall performance
Khumalo scored a stunning goal from a free kick when Silver Ladies beat Mozambique’s Costa do Sol 2-1. The Bankers, however, lost 0-3 to South Africa’s and two-time African champions Mamelodi Sundowns yesterday in the second match.
They thus need to win their last group match tomorrow against eSwatini side and fellow debutants Nsingizini Hotspurs if they are to progress to the semifinals.—Reporting by Favour Phyllis Chauluka, Malawi News Agency (MANA); editing and additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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