CRACKS IN THE FLAME: WILL THE SCORCHERS COMPETE AT WAFCON 2026?

Firstly, a long-overdue congratulations to the Scorchers for their maiden qualification for the continent’s top tournament in women’s football! For a country that is generally starved of success in international sports competitions, the Scorchers’ feat marked a moment of monumental pride for Malawians at home and abroad. That said, the lingering question is: will the Scorchers turn up at the rescheduled WAFCON 2026 to compete, or merely to participate? Do the Scorchers have the capacity to advance from a seemingly tough group that features continental giants in Nigeria and Zambia, along with a less fancied Egypt?

The making of history

An honest early assessment of the team’s performance since qualification paints a grim picture. Since qualifying—sealed through that incredible brace from budding superstar Faith Chinzimu—the Scorchers have consistently failed to snatch positive results against top sides. In fact, this trend extends to matches played before they officially qualified. In June 2025, for example, the Scorchers travelled to Morocco for high-profile friendlies against Morocco and Ghana. The results? They lost both matches, 4–2 and 3–1, respectively. After qualification, the Scorchers’ abysmal performances continued during the November 2025 three-nation tournament, where they lost 2–1 to Zimbabwe and drew 1–1 with Zambia. Early this year at the COSAFA Women’s tournament, a 2–0 loss to South Africa ensured that the trend of failing to defy the odds carried on. Victories against the less fancied Angola and Lesotho failed to paper over the cracks to observant eyes. This week’s disastrous results at the FIFA Series in Nairobi—where we got obliterated 5–0 by Australia and narrowly lost 3–2 to India (losing to India, really?!)—serve as a clear premonition of the imminent disaster that will unfold at WAFCON.

A bitter pill to swallow

Unfortunately, there are more reasons to worry. First, the elephant in the room relates to the questionable commitment of the Chawinga sisters, particularly Temwa. This has been a contentious issue in football circles, and it is unfortunate that the authorities continue to tiptoe around it. On one hand (and probably the majority, based on social media comments), some fans and pundits accuse her of conspiring with her club to feign injuries whenever the Scorchers come calling. On the other hand, some fans and pundits feel that Temwa and her management team are not dumb enough to ignore the fact that achievements in Scorchers’ colours would benefit her global ranking among the world’s greats. Therefore, her injuries must be legitimate – says this camp. Admittedly, both sides have their merits. However, the facts remain: Temwa Chawinga last played for the Scorchers in February 2025. Another fact is that, having pulled out of the recent FIFA Series on the pretext of being injured, she featured (and scored, as usual) for her club against Palmeiras in a tournament not recognized by FIFA. Meanwhile, the accusations against Tabitha are less warranted, since she has played in all the matches mentioned in the second paragraph apart from the recent FIFA Series. Regardless, some fans still accuse her of lacking commitment to the Scorchers’ cause.

The last time Temwa Chawinga featured in national colours

Overall, FAM needs to be forthcoming on this development. If left unchecked, not only does this scenario threaten to spoil the relationship between fans and the players, but it also has the potential to cause disunity within the dressing room by making some players feel less special than others. A divided dressing room would be a recipe for disaster at WAFCON. More importantly, given the nature of the Scorchers’ fanbase—especially the uncouth online brigade—FAM needs to continue reiterating that the COSAFA tournament remains unrecognized by FIFA, and that international clubs are not obligated to release players for it. This would protect foreign-based players from baseless accusations and unwarranted vile comments. Having said this, even if it were true that the Chawinga sisters are deliberately excusing themselves from national team engagements, vilifying them should not be the main reaction. Rather, uncovering and solving the underlying reasons that may have prompted them to take this course should be the focus. As I have said, no professional is dumb enough to ignore that as much as their national team needs them, they also need the national team to successfully contest for top individual accolades and build a solid legacy on the international stage.

Coach Fazili & Temwa flaunt the Women's COSAFA trophy in 2023

Another equally important reason to worry relates to coach Fazili’s glaring tactical ineptness. This has been a lingering issue during his tenure. Interestingly, following the defeat to India at the FIFA Series, Fazili remarked that “the goals we conceded are not ones we are supposed to allow… we have learnt important lessons and we will be very careful in selecting players.” On face value, this sounds profound, except for the fact that an uncoordinated and shambolic defence has been the hallmark of the Scorchers under Fazili’s reign. Time and again, the team concedes amateurish goals that leave spectators dumbfounded. A persistent failure to keep a solid offside trap, an inability to clear the lines, and rushed and aimless crosses by the fullbacks are not the signs one associates with a squad that has trained under one coach for more than three years! Then there is the questionable player selection and fielding. I won’t delve deeper on this point because I don’t want to mention specific players. But the bottom line is that, despite his successes (a COSAFA victory in 2023 and WAFCON qualification), Fazili has hit his ceiling. We have the players to do better than this. As one diehard fan commented recently on Facebook, and I agree: “Za coach tinanena kale kale. Mulibemo cha mpira umu, amangodalira individual brilliance of selected few players. Adzipita awa.”

But is there a silver lining in all this? Firstly, CAF’s baffling decision to postpone WAFCON from March to July opens an opportunity for some injured players to feature at the tournament. Had the tournament taken place in March, the Scorchers would have turned up without Temwa Chawinga and Patricia Nyirenda, so the postponement boosts hopes that we may have these two key players at the tournament. Others, like Madyina  Ngulube, who had a long injury spell, now have the opportunity to work on their match fitness (there is a marked difference between her performance at COSAFA in February and at the FIFA Series in April). The availability of these players will definitely enhance our solidity both at the back and up front. Secondly, the postponement gives the technical panel more time to fine-tune our weaknesses, despite the fact that the coach has not shown any signs that he has the ability to fix the blatant shortcomings. Fingers crossed that FAM has the resources and intention to keep the team active as we edge closer to the tournament. Specifically, it would be beneficial to secure friendlies against top sides during the June FIFA Women’s International Window. Lastly, I hope the 2026 National Bank Women’s Football League will kick off soon to keep our local players—who make up the bulk of the Scorchers squad—active. With these fixes, I strongly believe the Scorchers might stand a chance to cause chaos in July.