Nigeria-based striker gives Scorchers boost

Malawi National Women’s Football Team’s Nigeria-based striker Fazila Chembekezo has joined camp ahead of this year’s Cosafa Women’s Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.

The Rivers Angels forward arrived on Monday morning through Chileka International Airport in Blantyre and joined the Scorchers in the afternoon training session at Mpira Stadium in Chiwembe, Blantyre. 

Chembekezo said she was excited to return to the regional tournament which exposed her to be spotted by the Nigerian outfit after an impressive debut at the last edition.

She said: “I look forward to another exciting Cosafa Women’s Championship in South Africa.”

The Scorchers, who are in Group C alongside Botswana, Comoros and Tanzania in this year’s competition, will be under former Malawi National Football Team assistant coach Lovemore Fazili at the tournament to be held from August 31 to September 11. He replaced Thom Mkorongo who turned down the offer to coach the team.

The coach, who will be coaching a women’s football team for the first time, said he was excited with the challenge.

Fazili said: “It is a new challenge in my coaching career which I am excited to take.”

The Scorchers will start their campaign against Botswana in Group C on September 2 at Madibaz Stadium.

Their second match will be against Comoros three days later before wrapping up the group against guests and defending champions Tanzania’s Twigas on September 7, according to a statement from Cosafa.

Their last fixture will be a repeat of the last edition’s final which saw Twigas grab the championship after a narrow 1-0 victory.

Mauritius and Mozambique will kick off the tournament at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on August 31 before African champions South Africa and Angola clash later.

The pool stages will be played in a round-robin format with the top team in each group advancing to the semi-finals alongside the  best runners-up, according to the rules and regulations of the competition.

The winner of Group B will take on the top team in Group C in the first semi-final on September 9, also at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, while the winner of Group A meets the best placed runner-up.

Last year, Malawi made it to the final after finishing as Group runners up while South Africa won the group under coach McNebert Kazuwa.