Coach of the Malawi National Women’s Team, the Scorchers, Lovemore Fazili, says the upcoming Four Nations FIFA Series Tournament in Kenya will be crucial for the team’s preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, scheduled for 26 July to 16 August 2026.
“These games are very important for us because we are going there to meet big teams like Australia. Definitely, we are going to learn a lot,” said Fazili.
His remarks follow the naming of a 35-member provisional squad for the tournament, which will take place from 11 to 15 April at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.
According to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM), the squad includes the return of versatile forward Temwa Chawinga, who last featured for the Scorchers in February 2025 against Zambia. She is currently playing for Kansas City. Her sister, Tabitha Chawinga, who turns out for Olympique Lyon, has also been included.
FAM further indicated that Fazili has maintained the core of 23 players who featured at the COSAFA Women’s Championship earlier this year.
The squad also includes Ascent Soccer Academy forward Fatima Lali, who impressed during the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Guinea-Bissau.
However, Fazili has cast doubt on Temwa Chawinga’s availability, noting that her participation is subject to recovery from injury.
Scorchers are scheduled to enter camp on 1 April 2026 at Mpira Village in Blantyre.
Malawi will open their campaign against Australia on 11 April, while hosts Kenya will face India later the same day.
Winners from the matches will proceed to the final, while the losing sides will contest the third-place playoff, both set for four days later.
Similar FIFA Series tournaments will also take place in Brazil (Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso), Côte d’Ivoire (Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan), and Thailand (Ratchaburi Provincial Stadium), featuring teams from various confederations.
According to FIFA, the tournament is designed to bring together teams with diverse competitive profiles, ranging from established international sides to emerging nations.
Approved by the FIFA Council in December 2022, the FIFA Series also aims to strengthen holistic football development beyond the pitch.
The Scorchers’ last competitive outing was at the 2025 COSAFA Women’s Championship, where they exited at the group stage. They opened with a 2-0 loss to South Africa on 18 February, before bouncing back with an 8-1 win over Lesotho and a 1-0 victory against Angola.
South Africa went on to reach the final, where they lost 2-1 to Namibia after extra time.
