Chikondi Magalasi

The Malawi National Women’s Football Team coach Lovemore Fazili says his team needs proper preparations as they will face tough sides in the Cosafa Cup in Polokwane this month.

The Scorchers have been drawn into what could be deemed a group of death, despite avoiding an earlier matchup against their opponent at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Zambia.

In a draw conducted on Wednesday, saw Malawi being placed in Group A, alongside previous tournament runners-up South Africa, as well as Lesotho and Angola.

Last week, Fazili stated that he aims to reach the final of the tournament and provide opportunities for players in his 32-member squad to prove their worth ahead of the WAFCON tournament.

Reacting to yesterday’s draw, Fazili says Malawi will face tough teams in their group despite that they once played against them in previous tournaments.

“We know them very well. We need to train hard to perform better. Last time, we met South Africa in the same tournament, and we managed to defeat them. We will build on our previous success to secure maximum points,” he said.

Zambia, Malawi’s opponents in Group C at the 2026 WAFCON, have been drawn into Group B with Botswana, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Namibia are in Group C of the 13th edition of the COSAFA Women’s Championship which is scheduled to kick off from February 18 to March 1, 2026.