Frank Mojah Dzuwa
Malawi’s Under-20 women’s national football team will need a strong comeback in Lilongwe next Saturday after falling 2-0 to Nigeria in the first leg of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Played away from home, the match saw the Young Scorchers produce a disciplined first-half performance, holding the home team to a 0-0 draw at the break. Malawi remained compact at the back and limited clear chances, showing organisation and patience against a confident Nigerian side.
The game, however, shifted moments after the restart. Nigeria capitalised on defensive lapses to break the deadlock in the 46th minute. It was Maureen Kenneth who scored in her own net following the pressure from the Falconets.
They extended their lead in the 57th minute through Kindness Ifeanyi, who finished off the ball into an empty net after the Malawi keeper had left the line.
The two quick goals put the hosts in firm control, and Malawi was unable to find a way back into the match despite efforts to respond.
After the match, head coach Maggie Chombo—Sadik said the result was largely due to a lack of organisation in defence, especially in the early stages of the second half.
She pointed to poor communication between the defenders and the goalkeeper as a key factor behind conceding the two goals.
“We lost the game in the second half. The defence was not organised, we gave them the goals in the early five minutes of the second half. I think it was a lack of communication between the two defenders and goalkeeper. We have to give them confidence; if our opponent scored at their home, we can also do it at our home,” she said.
Malawi will have a chance to respond in the return leg scheduled for 9 May 2026 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, where they will be aiming to overturn the deficit and keep their qualification hopes alive.
Starting XI:
Emily Nkhwazi, Maureen Kenneth, Olivia Phikani, Talandira Chinyamula, Leticia Chinyamula (C), Mayamiko Mkandawire, Linda Manda, Victoria Mkwala, Anna Baziliyo, Alinafe Milanzie and Sarah Mulimbika.
