The Hidden Handicap That Makes the Scorchers' Run Even Greater
Having shocked continental heavyweights such as Nigeria and Ghana en route to the semi-finals of the ongoing Women's African Cup of Nations in their maiden WAFCON campaign, Malawi's Scorchers have become a hot topic in football circles. All of a sudden, the media—both mainstream and alternative—have shone a light on Malawi's normally ignored national women's football team. Points of admiration have been many. Some have been wowed by the fact that the Scorchers upset the pecking order at the tournament, though they arrived as the worst-ranked team amongst the 16 participants. Others have been astonished by the influence of the phenomenal Chawinga sisters in inspiring a squad dominated by largely unknown players to top a seemingly group of death. Meanwhile, others have highlighted the humble and unconventional origins and growth of the women's game in a generally conservative country where the idea of women playing football barely existed less than 30 y...