Malawi national women’s football team head coach Lovemore Fazili has stressed the importance of securing a positive result in the opening match of the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship, where the Scorchers face hosts South Africa.
Fazili described the opening fixture as pivotal, noting both its significance as the team’s first match and the quality of the opposition.
“This game is very important because it is our first match in the tournament and secondly we are playing against South Africa, who have also qualified for WAFCON. If we get a good result, it will put us on the right track and help us see where we are heading in the tournament,” said Fazili.
The coach said previous encounters against South Africa have provided valuable lessons for his squad.
“We played them last year and from those two matches we learned a lot. The players know where we went wrong and they understand the areas we need to improve. Whoever gets a chance to play will give 100 percent effort,” he added.
Fazili expressed confidence in the continuity and cohesion of his squad.
“I am happy with the players in camp because this is a team that has been together for almost three years. They are the same players who have faced South Africa, Zambia and other strong teams. I am confident in them.”
Malawi are drawn in Group A alongside hosts South Africa, Angola and Lesotho.
The Scorchers will face Lesotho in their second group match on Saturday before concluding the group stage campaign against Angola on Tuesday.
