The Malawi Under-20 Women’s National Team takes to the field this afternoon against South Sudan with one clear mission — to defend their first-leg advantage and secure a place in the next round of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Young Scorchers carry a 2–0 lead into today’s return leg at Juba National Stadium, courtesy of goals from Enelesi Fabiano and Sarah Mulimbika in the first leg. A draw will be enough to see Malawi through, where Guinea Bissau awaits in the next round.
Head Coach Maggie Chombo Sadik is expected to keep faith in the same squad that impressed on Tuesday, with Victoria Mkwala likely to replace Kondwawu Banda in the starting XI. Chombo is also expected to maintain her tried-and-tested 1-4-4-1-1 formation, which has yielded goals in every qualifying match so far.
Speaking ahead of the match, Chombo reminded her charges that the job is far from over.
“This will be a different game altogether. We’ve told the girls to forget about Tuesday’s result. We will attack from the first whistle,” she said.
She also emphasized consistency, insisting that the team will not make unnecessary changes.
“You don’t fix what isn’t broken. We don’t want to confuse the players who already understand the assignment and game plan,” she added.
Team captain Leticia Chinyamula echoed the coach’s words, stressing the importance of focus.
“We know this is a new game. Tuesday’s result won’t matter if we don’t finish the job today,” she said.
If the Young Scorchers complete the task, they will face Guinea Bissau in the next round as they continue their quest for a place at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
