August 13 2026
So, this is how happiness feels! Verily, verily, this happiness is sponsored by The Scorchers, who are carrying our flag at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).
When they qualified for the big pitch in African football, joining Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe from the Confederation of Southern African Football (Cosafa) no one gave them a chance to go beyond the group stages. That is why the National Women Football Association budgeted for their stay in Morocco up to the close of that stage.
When they beat Nigeria, who have won the cup 10 times, many thought it was a fluke.
While we are at it, if there is a Malawian locution that is making more sense now is what the deceased MBC director general propelled: Kumaliopa mawa. So sudden was his death that when the news came early that Saturday morning, the words were still hanging somewhere in the air. And when he was buried at M’banda Village in Chileka, the words sunk in our hearts: Kumaliopa mawa.
Now how do Chidzukulu cha Ananjaiko’s words come to mind when The Scorchers beat Nigeria?
One Chioma Okafor’s mother is Malawian while her father is Nigerian. When Malawi started dangling the carrot to have her into the football oven’s fold, the Nigerians, being the eagles and falcons that they are, were swift and quickly processed her passport, securing a place in their women football team.
Kumaliopa mawa. Okafor did not even make it to play against the team she ditched. Nigeria just had too many stars who lost to Malawi. Mawa kumaliopa.
Although they were the underdogs in their group, going by the Fifa rankings, they went ahead to beat Egypt and lost to Zambia but proceeded to the quarter finals where they beat Ghana and razed down Algeria to get to the finals.
You see, tomorrow they will face Cameroon, which has been in the finals three times and lost to Nigeria. Now they are facing Malawi.
There are great things The Scorchers have taught us. Teamwork is most important. While Tabitha Chawinga and her sister Temwa were named by ESPN as the top 10 players to watch at the tournament, their humility is so humbling!
Look, Tabitha was not only leading the team on the pitch, even as they danced after every glorious conquest, she was leading. Look at how she was dancing with that speaker above her head!
Even Temwa in all interviews expressed gratitude that the platform will expose her teammates.
The patriotism in the Scorchers team is self-evident.
Now, you see, with their qualification to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, it is known that the appearance is a hefty sum, way above K50 million. Let us not see some playing things around to shuffle their daughters, cousins and aunts into the team. Let the girls who have fought this good fight continue carrying the flag.
And then, the Wafcon success has taught us one thing. Everyone wants to jostle their way to be part of the success story. We saw the hullabaloo about National Women’s Football Association CEO Adellaide Migogo leaving Rabat, while Football Association of Malawi president Fleetwood Haiya was being carried shoulder high.
While FAM has administrative oversight over The Scorchers, it would have made even better sense if the women’s football body found a better way that Migogo as well basks in the scorching happiness.
The other day, Gender Minister Mary Navicha suggested that Parliament should sponsor female legislators to go and cheer the team in Morocco. She never went ahead to explain when parliament’s oversight role turned into watching football successes upclose.
If government were to sponsor someone to go to Morocco, one would vouch for Bwede and his team of cheer leaders!
It is sad that the Fifa rules are against male teams playing against females. If it were not so, I would have suggested that the next Independence Day celebrations should feature a game between The Flames and The Scorchers. Then we would see who are the embers and ashes.
