The banner on Kansas City Current and below the picture OL Lyonnes posted
* Her boots are golden on the national and international stage—KC Current to Temwa TC6 Chawinga
* You stepped onto the pitch and fought with everything you—First Lady Geltrude Mutharika
* The Scorchers made it all the way to the final and gave Malawi something to believe in—Othakarhaka Foundation
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Scorchers have made Malawi immensely proud following their historic performance at their debut Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) Morocco 2026 — reaching the final and further achieving another milestone of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2027.
The silver medalists
Congratulatory messages, which started pouring in as soon as they beat 10-time WAfCON title winners and defending champions, Nigeria, all the way to the quarterfinals where they qualified for the World Cup, are continuing in an avalanche.
Joining the tributes on the global level include the Chawinga sisters clubs in Lyon, France and Kansas City in the USA, who kept inspiring their players before the tournament and along all the achievements at each level.
After 0-3 loss to Cameroon in the final on Sunday night, Tabitha TC11 Chawinga’s OL Lyonnes posted on its official Facebook account, saying: “The whole team is proud of you.
“You represented Malawi with passion and gave it your all until the end. The next step is the World Cup: Congratulations Tabi for this magnificent run … the Chawinga sisters are the African runners-up.”
KC Current were thrilled that their forward Temwa won the Golden Boot after scoring five goals and had direct two assists: “Our Golden Girl,” says the message.
“Her boots are golden on the national and international stage, our 2026 WAfCON Golden Boot winner —Temwa TC6 Chawinga.”
“Thank you for showing us what it means to believe. The most incredible story in sports and it continues next year at the World Cup.
“We are beyond proud of you, Temwa TC6 Chawinga and Malawi. The result may not have gone our way, but what a team!”
First Lady Geltrude Mutharika also posted on her Facebook account, saying: “Tough luck tonight, but what a journey! We came, we saw, and we conquered!
“True to our nickname, the Scorchers set the African continent ablaze at a time when nobody expected it. Making it to the WAfCON final was a dream, one that has redefined our vision for football in Malawi.
“Being your number one fan makes me endlessly proud. Tonight, you stepped onto the pitch and fought with everything you had for over 22 million Malawians who carry our flag in their hearts.
Mulanje-based Othakarhaka Foundation; Passing on the Kindness posted: “In their first-ever WAfCON appearance, the Scorchers made it all the way to the final and gave Malawi something to believe in.
“What a journey, what an achievement. Well done, ladies. You have made us proud.”
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When President Arthur Peter Mutharika returned from his private trip to South Africa on Saturday, he applauded the Scorchers for bringing Malawians together and creating a rare sense of national unity that transcends political differences.
Mutharika said the team’s performance had demonstrated the power of sport to unite people around a common cause.
He thus urged Malawians to draw lessons from the team’s performance, particularly the importance of selflessness and teamwork in pursuing a common goal.
