Fazili Draws Positives from Morocco Friendly Defeat

Malawi National Women’s Football Team head coach Lovemore Fazili says he has drawn positives from the Scorchers’ friendly match against Morocco despite the defeat.

The Scorchers faced the Atlas Lionesses in a closed-door international friendly as part of their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Morocco took the lead in the first half through an own goal after miscommunication among Malawi defenders inside the box.

Malawi improved after the break, especially following the introduction of captain Tabitha Chawinga, who brought more urgency into the attack.

The Scorchers were later awarded a penalty after Tabitha was brought down inside the box. Ireen Khumalo made no mistake from the spot, sending the Moroccan goalkeeper the wrong way to level the scores.

Malawi continued to press for another goal, with Vitumbiko Mkandawire forcing a save from the goalkeeper before Chikondi Gondwe’s effort hit the crossbar.

However, Morocco restored their lead in the 84th minute after the Scorchers failed to clear the ball in the box, allowing the hosts to score their second goal.

Fazili said he was pleased with the overall performance despite the result.

“I think in today’s game, I am happy with the performance once again because you could see a lot of positives from the whole team, from the goalkeeper, defence, midfield and the strikers as well,” said Fazili.

He said the match provided important lessons for the team ahead of the continental showpiece.

“We had a good game, a good training game. We showcased a lot of good things, though there were also a few negatives. When we go back to the drawing board, we will try as much as possible to polish those areas,” he said.

Fazili added that the technical panel still has time to address the challenges before the team’s final pre-tournament friendly against Ghana.

“We still have more days to plan and fix the challenges before we play our final pre-tournament friendly against Ghana, and then we will be ready for the tournament,” said Fazili.