Luwinga Academy will represent Malawi at the second edition of the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Under-17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT), which begins today in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Luwinga have been placed in Group A alongside South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Zimbabwe’s Mpopoma Sports Academy and Namibia’s Otjiwarongo Sports Academy. They will play their opening match this afternoon against Mamelodi Sundowns at 12:00pm.
The inaugural CAF U17 GIFT tournament was held in January 2025 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where JKT Queens defeated fellow Tanzanian side TDS Girls 2–1 to win the first edition.
This year’s event features eight teams from six COSAFA nations. Hosts Zimbabwe are represented by Mpopoma Sports Academy. South Africa has two teams in the competition, Mamelodi Sundowns and Refilwe FC, while Namibia will field Otjiwarongo Sports Academy and Okakarara Golden Ladies FC. Aguilla Girls FC represent Zambia, Luwinga Academy represent Malawi and Lishoeshoe FC represent Lesotho.
CAF introduced the GIFT tournament to provide meaningful competition for under-17 girls’ club teams across the continent, complementing existing youth competitions for national teams. The initiative forms part of CAF’s broader commitment to accelerating the growth of women’s football by offering young players a platform to gain exposure and experience.
Below is the full squad:
| NO. | NAME | CLUB/ACAD | |
| 1 | Dorothy Manda | Luwinga Academy | |
| 2 | Rhoda peter | Luwinga Academy | |
| 3 | Tamandani Chawinga | Luwinga Academy | |
| 4 | Ongani kapalamula | Luwinga Academy | |
| 5 | Mercy Gondwe | Luwinga Academy | |
| 6 | Khumbiso Guduwe | Luwinga Academy | |
| 7 | Chisomo Mtelera | Luwinga Academy | |
| 8 | Rabbeccah Banda | Luwinga Academy | |
| 9 | Mercy Banda | Luwinga Academy | |
| 10 | Rejoice Slungwe | Luwinga Academy | |
| 11 | Tamandani chilimba | Luwinga Academy | |
| 12 | Hamida Lifa | Luwinga Academy | |
| 13 | Talandira Kachala | Luwinga Academy | |
| 14 | Cecelia Mzima | Topic Academy | |
| 15 | Alinafe Nyirenda | Creck Sporting Club | |
| 16 | Joyce Makweya | Kukoma Ntopwa Queens FC | |
| 17 | Thokozani Enock | TC 11 | |
| 18 | Ethel Tambala | Ascent Soccer Academy |
OFFICIALS
| 1 | Chisomo Nkhoma | Head Coach |
| 2 | Levie Mhonne | Assistant Coach |
| 3 | Cathrine Sichali | Team Doctor |
| 4 | Charity Mbvumbwe | Team Manager |
