Malawi will be hoping to turn silver into gold as they return to the CAF African Schools Football Championship | COSAFA Qualifiers, having finished runners-up three times in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions since 2022.
The tournament, set for December 5–7, sees Malawi enter as one of the favourites, backed by three years of consistent performances in both the boys’ and girls’ categories.
Salima Secondary School has carried Malawi’s hopes in the boys’ category since 2022 and has come painfully close to the title on several occasions.
In 2022, they reached the final but lost 1-0 to South Africa’s Clapham High School. They went on to claim bronze at the Continental Finals. The following year, after beating Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and Eswatini, Malawi again reached the final, which ended 1-1 before they lost on penalties to South Africa.
Last year, the boys reached the semifinals but were once again denied by South Africa in a 2-1 defeat.
Head coach Joseph Malizani believes the experience gained over the past three years puts his side in a stronger position.
“It is every team’s wish to go to the tournament and bring something home. We have been there for the past three years and we know what to rectify. The players are responding well and we have no injuries,” he said.
The girls’ team has followed a similarly promising path. They finished as runners-up last year after a 3-1 loss to South Africa but still qualified for the Continental Finals since South Africa had already qualified as African champions.
In 2022, Malindi Secondary School won all their four matches on the pitch but dropped to third due to an administrative error. They exited in the group stage in 2023 but responded strongly in 2024 with victories over Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Girls’ head coach Bridget Chirwa is upbeat about her squad’s readiness.
“We started preparations in Lilongwe with 40 players and trimmed the squad to 25 who are tactically ready. I am encouraging the girls to work hard, and I promise Malawians that we will perform well. The target is to qualify for the continental stage again,” she said.
The draw for the eleven-team tournament will be conducted a few days before the kickoff.
