Malawi National Women’s Football Team, the Scorchers, will open their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign against defending champions Nigeria on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.
The match will mark Malawi’s first-ever appearance at the continental showpiece and the first meeting between the Scorchers and the Super Falcons.
Head coach Lovemore Fazili has expressed confidence in his charges ahead of the Group C opener, saying the team is ready to compete against the defending champions.
“I think what I can say is that we are going there to fight because we cannot go to the battlefield aiming to be killed. We are going there to fight, and I am sure the players are aware of that,” said Fazili.
Fazili said although Nigeria have a strong history in the competition, football can always produce surprises.
“Nigeria are the champions, but sometimes history in football can change. We have seen before small teams doing wonders, so we are going there to fight and get something positive out of the game after 90 minutes,” he said.
The coach also dismissed concerns over the team’s experience, saying the Scorchers have had enough international exposure over the past two years.
“So far so good. Before and after we qualified for WAFCON, we played plenty of international friendly matches. We have played Australia, South Africa and India,” said Fazili.
He added that qualifying for the tournament was not easy, and the same fighting spirit will be required against Nigeria.
“When we qualified, it was not an easy task. We fought for it, and definitely we are going to do the same when we play Nigeria,” he said.
In the other Group C match, Egypt will face Zambia as the battle for quarterfinal places begins. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the next round.
