Stakeholders have joined hands to accord the Scorchers a heroes’ welcome tomorrow in Lilongwe following their impressive display at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco, where they finished as runners-up.
The Malawi National Women’s Football Team, expected to arrive home through the Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe at 3.30pm, finished as runners-up after going down 3-0 to Cameroon in the final on Sunday and has qualified for the 2027 Fifa World Cup in Brazil on their debut appearance.
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and corporate sponsor National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc yesterday confirmed they are working together to celebrate the Scorchers’ historic achievement with a parade from the airport to surrounding areas in the Capital City and a dinner party.
The Malawi Defence Force, the Malawi Police Service and the Lilongwe City Council are also within the fold.
Said the ministry’s spokesperson MacMillan Mwale during an engagement meeting in Lilongwe yesterday: “The Scorchers’ remarkable achievement cannot go without a special appreciation. They have made Malawi proud and they deserve a special welcome.”
NBM plc marketing and corporate affairs manager Akossa Hiwa said after tomorrow’s events, the bank will on Thursday host a breakfast at a yet-to-be-disclosed venue in Lilongwe where NBM plc chief executive officer Harold Jiya, other officials and the Scorchers will share some special moments.
“We can’t wait to welcome our girls for their outstanding work. They deserve to be celebrated,” she said.
FAM president Fleetwood Haiya said that at a time when people are facing many challenges, the Scorchers gave Malawi something to smile about and they deserve to be celebrated.
He said: “They have brought hope, pride and, most importantly, united our nation through football.
“Qualifying for the World Cup for the first time is an extraordinary achievement that deserves to be celebrated. Finishing as Wafcon runners-up on debut appearance is a bonus to what has already been a historic campaign. These results are a manifestation of our strong investment in women’s football and we will continue.”
The stakeholders’ plan for the heroes’ welcome sums up President Peter Mutharika’s sentiment that the Scorchers’ impressive run at Wafcon has brought a rare moment of unity in the country.
“The Scorchers have managed to achieve something that we politicians have never been able to do. They have managed to unite this country,” he said.
Football analyst George Chiusiwa said the Scorchers’ achievement indeed warrants recognition as heroines but argued the historic World Cup qualification deserves more than a grand welcome.
“recognising this success materially would make it momentous, he said.
