The Malawi National Under-17 Women’s Football Team, the young Scorchers, are primed and ready as they kick off their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification campaign against Burundi this weekend.
The first leg of the two-legged tie will be played on Saturday, 11 April 2026 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, before Malawi travel to face Burundi at Intwari Stadium in Bujumbura on 18 April 2026.
Head coach Chisomo Nkhoma, who initially named a 36-member squad before trimming it to 23, expressed confidence in her side’s preparedness following weeks of camp training.
“As a team, we are ready for the match. The first thing is to understand the importance — the magnitude — of this game, and the second is to remind the players of that, which we have done,” said Nkhoma.
“We need to use every available means to win at home. We will face the same team in the second leg, so we must use our home ground advantage now and score as many goals as possible to give ourselves a cushion going away. This is our first-time facing Burundi, but there is no pressure — we have our own strategies, we have a full squad, and no injuries,” she added.
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has announced free entry for general admission to encourage fan support, while VIP tickets are pegged at MK10,000 and corporate tickets at MK20,000.
The winner on aggregate over the two legs will advance to the second round of qualifiers scheduled between 22 and 31 May 2026, with the final round set for 3 to 12 July 2026.
A total of 30 teams are competing in the first round, with one team receiving a bye based on past performance. The 15 winners will join the exempted side in the second round, where 16 teams will battle for eight places in the final round, with four teams ultimately qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
