* Lessons learnt, of course, it was a tough game playing against an experienced side. They always capitalise on mistakes
* There is a very big gap between the teams we face in the COSAFA region and Australia
* As Scorchers’ WAfCON Morocco 2026 group opponents, Zambia also got walloped by Canada in FIFA Series
By Duncan Mlanjira
The 153rd FIFA world-ranked Malawi Scorchers — in the absence of key players, the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa — were given a huge lesson yesterday when they were whipped 5-0 by 15th-ranked Australia’s Matildas in the FIFA Series hosted by Kenya at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.
Advertisement
But coach, Lovemore Fazili took the result in his stride by describing the match as an important learning experience: “Lessons learnt, of course,” he is quoted as saying by Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Media. “It was a tough game playing against an experienced side — they always capitalise on mistakes.”
On the difference in competitiveness, Fazili noted that “there is a very big gap between the teams the Scorchers face in the Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) region and Australia”.
“They have experienced players competing at a high level in Europe, but we have learnt a lot,” he said, as he prepares for the next FIFA Series Kenya 2026 match on Wednesday against 67th world-ranked India, who were beaten 2-0 by the 133rd hosts, Kenya in the other game.
Launched in 2024, the FIFA Series were mooted by the world football governing body as international friendlies that features national teams from separate confederations, that would not normally compete against one another.
The ultimate objective of the FIFA Series is to allow more international football interaction, making a concrete contribution to global football development by facilitating meaningful friendly matches involving different confederations.
Thus, Fazili agrees that it has been important learning experience against Australia — and it will also be against India on Wednesday.
They conceded as early as the 6th minute against Australia, who are reported to have capitalised on a quick attacking move that caught Malawi’s defence off guard.
The Scorchers gradually settled into the match, showing signs of improvement and pushing forward in search of an equaliser — and just before halftime, Malawi came close through a Rose Kabzere free-kick, which was saved, before Vanessa Chikupila’s rebound was blocked.
Australia doubled their lead in the 41st minute to go into the break 2-0 up and as the Scorchers continued to fight in the second half, Chikupila tested the goalkeeper from distance in the 53rd minute, but her effort was comfortably tamed.
The Matildas extended their lead with further goals in the 60th, 86th and 90+2 minutes, punishing defensive lapses to seal a commanding victory.
The Scorchers missed the services of captain Tabitha TC11 through injury while Temwa is recovering from a season ending injury, which her team Kansas City Current could not afford to release so soon after being taken out of the injury list.
Tabitha and Temwa
Fazili is using the high-profile friendlies as critical preparation for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) in Morocco in July; in which they are drawn with defending champions Nigeria, North Africans Egypt and neighbours Zambia.
Ranked 64th, the Copper Queens were also hammered 4-0 by 10th-ranked Canada in their FIFA Series played in Cuiabá, Brazil, whose next match is against the hosts Brazil on Wednesday, April 15.
Zambia, who made their debut in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, have made five appearances at the WAfCON with the best result being 3rd place in 2022.
They became an official women’s national team in 1983, and was one of the first African women’s national football teams to exist on the continent.
Nigeria, ranked 37th, are Africa’s best women’s football nation having won the WAfCON 10 times (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2024, 2026, 2018, 2024) and appeared in 9 FIFA World Cup finals, whose best result is the quarterfinals.
At the FIFA World Cup 2023, the Falconets defeated Australia and drew against Canada.
Advertisement
Egypt, who became officially unranked in the June 2018 FIFA World Rankings, after failing to play at least one game before May 25, 2018, will play against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and on April 19 as part of the FIFA Series.
In their first-ever WAfCON appearance, the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship winners are definitely up against a tough assignment in Morocco in July — and as such, the experience gained in Kenya is a vital ahead of the continental women’s football showpiece.
The Scorchers in Kenya
