Malawi Women’s National Football Team, Scorchers last night gave away a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 to hosts Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses in an international friendly at Kenitra Stadium in Casablanca.
Ranked 60th in the world and third in Africa on Coca Cola Fifa rankings, the hosts were bent on proving their superiority over Scorchers, who are way down on position 154 globally and 32 on the continent.
Jorge Vilda coach had all his best players, including Spain-based Valencia duo of Yasmin Mrabet and Hanane Aït El Haj plus Sakina Ouzraoui of Liga F side UD Tenerife, Imène El Ghazouani of Servette FC Chênois Féminin, Switzeland and Ibtissam Jraïdi of Saud Arabia’s Al-Ahli.
Morocco’s Fatima Tagnaout.
| Courtesy of Morocco FA
On the other hand, the Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili did not pull punches as he also threw in his best arsenal led by captain Tabitha Chawinga and Rose Kabzere who both play in France, Georgia-based forward Sabina Thom and Kazakhstan-based duo of attacker Vanessa Chikupila and defender Bernadette Mkandawire.
In a match monitored on Fifa+ online television, Ballon d’Or nominee Tabitha proved why she is ranked among the world’s best women’s footballers as she put Scorchers in the lead from the spot in the 27th minute.
The menacing forward tormented the Moroccans defence and Zineb Redouani was left with no choice but to tackle her down the box.
The Olympique Lyonnaise forward sent Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi the wrong way with an excellently-taken spot-kick.
Few miniutes later, she turned provider with an assist for Kabzere with a through ball into the box which the Montpellier forward slotted past Er-Rmichi in the 35th minute.
But the hosts scored two quick goals just before recess when Mkandawire cleared the ball into her own net in the 40th minute before Sakina Ouzraoui levelled three minutes later with a clinical finish past Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo to end the first-half 2-2.
Morocco then took the lead in the 56th minute through Jraïdi as the Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia forward took advantage of Sikelo’s failure to clear a short corner.
Fazili responded by replacing Sikelo with Yamikani Kaonga while Maureen Kenneth came in for Mkandawire. Letticia Chinyamula alo paved the way for Tendai Sani.
Though the changes helped to stabilise the Scorchers, Morocco went on to add the fourth in added on time though RC Strasbourgh striker Kenza Chapelle for the match to end 4-2.
In a post-match interview, Fazili said though they lost, the match helped him to gauge his team’s readiness for the for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers’ final qualification round against Angola in October.
Malawi qualified for the second round after their opponents Congo Brazaville withdrew from the competition.
