Malawi’Under-20 Women’s National Football Team yesterday arrived in Nigeria for the first leg of the final round of the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers scheduled for this Saturday in Lagos.
In an interview, head coach Maggie Chombo-Sadiki said the team is geared for the first leg.
“Everything is in place. The morale is high and the girls are eager for the first leg,” she said.
Chombo-Sadiki added that the team is targeting a strong result away from home to ease pressure ahead of the return leg to be played at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on May 9 2026.
“Our target is to do well here so that the return leg becomes easier,” she said.
Meanwhile, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya met the team in Addis Ababa while en route to the 76th Fifa Congress in Canada.
place.| Courtesy of FAM
On a post on Facebook, he said: “I took time to motivate and encourage our Under-20 women’s football team at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport as they head to face Nigeria.
“We wish them the very best as they fight for a place at our first-ever Under-20 Women’s World Cup.”
Chombo has named a 20-member squad that includes four Scorchers players, namely Leticia Chinyamula, Olivia Phikani, Sarah Mlimbika and Esther Maulidi.
The Junior Scorchers’ campaign has been a fairy-tale one. They started with a commanding 6-2 aggregate victory over Central African Republic after a 3-1 win in the first leg and 1-1 stalemate in the second leg.
In the second round, Malawi defeated Sudan 3-1 on aggregate following a 0-2 victory in the first leg and 1-1 draw in the return leg.
In the third round, they thrashed Guinea-Bissau 6-2 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 away before a dominant 5-1 victory at home.
Four African teams will qualify for the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup to be hosted by Poland in September.
