The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has strengthened the Malawi National Women’s Football Team technical panel ahead of the Scorchers’ maiden appearance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) by bringing in Sudesh Singh as Technical Advisor and Tyrese Steyn as Performance Analyst.
The Scorchers will make their first-ever appearance at the continental showpiece, scheduled for 25 July to 16 August 2026 in Morocco.
Singh brings vast experience to the team, having served in football technical and advisory roles for over 30 years. He has previously served as Sports Director of the South African Football Coaches Association, Technical Consultant at Botswana side Masitaoka FC, and Football Strategist for SuperSport’s Soccer Africa show.
Speaking after joining the team, Singh said he has been impressed with the quality of players in camp and believes the Scorchers have the potential to compete strongly at WAFCON.
“I think you have a very talented group of ladies, and I believe the Scorchers can be a dark horse in this tournament. Yes, it is a difficult group with defending champions Nigeria, but with the talent that I have seen in the few days I have been here, I believe this team can cause an upset in Morocco,” said Singh.
He said he has already held discussions with head coach Lovemore Fazili and the rest of the technical panel on areas that can be strengthened before the tournament.
“I had meetings with the coaching staff and the head coach, Lovemore Fazili, and I must say it was a warm welcome. People are very open-minded and willing to embrace new ideas that can strengthen the team,” he said.
“The natural and exceptional talent is there, especially offensively. Over the next week or two, we will work together to see how we can organise the defence into a more compact unit because we know the kind of opposition we are going to face in Morocco,” added Singh.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya said the appointments follow a recommendation from the Technical Committee to strengthen the team’s preparations.
“We had a report from the Technical Committee, which proposed that we need to beef up the technical panel. We believe in Lovemore Fazili, and I have said it many times that Fazili is the best coach for our women’s team and we are going to maintain him,” said Haiya.
“Today, we are operationalising the decision made by the Executive Committee to strengthen the team. We are very thankful that we have Sudesh, who has vast experience, especially at this stage when we are going to WAFCON for the first time,” he added.
Haiya said the association expects the additional expertise to help the Scorchers compete at the highest level.
“Sudesh is here to help us do well. As we go to compete at WAFCON, it is our expectation that we reach the semifinals so that we can qualify for the World Cup,” said Haiya.
Scorchers head coach Lovemore Fazili welcomed the development, saying the additions will strengthen the team’s preparations.
“This is a very good development, and definitely it is going to help us. We are going to benefit a lot from someone who has experience, and we will use that experience to boost the team and strengthen the technical panel. We are happy and we welcome him,” said Fazili.
