Following reports that Zambia will host a 4/6 women’s friendly tournament in Ndola this month, Malawi’s Football Association president, Fleetwood Haiya, has confirmed that the Scorchers are expected to take part.
Haiya told BolaNews in Malawi that the association has been invited to play in the tournament, but he couldn’t say how many teams will take part.
The tournament will prepare the Malawi women’s team for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers, which will begin in February. Malawi will face Congo Brazzaville in the first round.
“In 2024, we haven’t done well apart from playing in the Cosafa tournament,” Haiya told BolaNews. “This year, I am promising that the Scorchers will play in Wafcon [qualifiers], and very soon we will be confirming where we will be invited to Zambia in Ndola, where we will be playing in a 4/6 Nations tournament. We believe we will participate in all tournaments this year.”
However, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has yet to officially confirm the friendly tournament.
Meanwhile, FAM’s competitions director, Gomezgani Zakazaka, confirmed that the team will play in the tournament, which will serve as a warm-up for the Wafcon qualifiers.
Zakazaka stated that arranging friendlies may be difficult due to the lack of a FIFA window until the Congo match in February.
“We have more foreign-based players earmarked for the qualifiers and cannot be available for friendlies outside the window, which may defeat the whole purpose of playing the test matches without them. We will continue to look for opportunities to help us prepare for the matches with the four nations in mind,” he stated.
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