The Malawi National Women’s Football Team has advanced to the third round of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers after thrashing Zimbabwe’s Mighty Warriors 7-0 at the National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday.
The Scorchers progress with a 9-0 aggregate victory after winning the first leg 2-0 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe a week ago.
Following the victory, Malawi will now face Kenya in the third round after the East Africans also secured progression with a 22-0 aggregate demolition of Seychelles.
In yesterday’s match monitored on Mibawa Television, the Scorchers head coach Lovemore Fazili maintained the same starting line-up from the first leg, with Mercy Sikelo in goals and Chimwemwe Madise, Rose Kabzere, Asimenye Simwaka, Temwa Chawinga, Tabitha Chawinga, Madyina Nguluwe, Leticia Chinyamula, Ireen Khumalo, Rose Alufandika and Benadetta Mkandawire completing the team.
United States-based forward Temwa scored a hat-trickwhile her sister and captain Tabitha was also on target.
Chisomo Banda, Asimenye Simwaka and Sarah Mulimbika scored the other goals in the one-sided match.
Temwa opened the scoring in the 11th minute after Zimbabwe goalkeeper Cynthia Shonga had kept out Tabitha’s effort at the near post.
The forward pounced on the rebound, rounded two defenders and fired into the roof of the net.
The Scorchers doubled their lead in the 30th minute when Temwa latched onto Ireen Khumalo’s long pass from near the centre circle and fired a first-time low shot past the goalkeeper.
Fazili introduced Faith Chinzimu for Madyina Nguluwe at half-time as Malawi maintained their attacking approach.
Malawi then made it 3-0 in the 53rd minute when Tabitha finished off a move initiated by Simwaka.
Three minutes later, Temwa completed her hat-trick, connecting with a perfectly weighted pass from her sister to make it 4-0.
Fazili then withdrew the Chawinga sisters in the 60th minute, introducing Banda and Mulimbika.
Banda made an immediate impact, scoring Malawi’s fifth goal with a long-range effort from about 20 metres just a minute after coming on.
Simwaka added the sixth in the 88th minute after being set up by Rose Kabzere before Mulimbika completed the rout Chinzimu assist.
The emphatic win puts Malawi within two rounds of potentially reaching the Olympic Games.
Fazili in a post-match interview said the score line is a reflection of the Scorchers capabilities.
He said: “This is a reflection of what the Scorchers can do. We can qualify for the Olympic Games.”
His counterpart Stella Gotal admitted that the Mighty Warrirors were no match for the Scorchers.
