The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) has donated gas cylinders and stoves to the Malawi National Women’s Football Team, the Scorchers, in recognition of their historic performance at the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The handover ceremony took place at MERA offices in Lilongwe on Saturday, following an earlier postponement due to the team’s busy schedule after returning from the continental tournament.
The Scorchers finished as runners-up at the WAFCON finals in Morocco and secured historic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. MERA Chief Executive Officer Dad Chinthambi said the donation was a token of appreciation for the team’s remarkable achievements, which brought pride and excitement to the nation.
“We decided to honour the Scorchers because of their outstanding performance at WAFCON, where they made the entire nation proud and secured historic qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” said Chinthambi.
“The players have demonstrated that with determination, discipline and hard work, Malawi can compete at the highest level. As MERA, we felt it was important to recognise their achievements with something that will also benefit them in their homes.”
Chinthambi said the Authority had initially planned to make the donation immediately after the team’s return from Morocco, but the ceremony was delayed due to the Scorchers’ busy schedule. “We had planned to make this donation soon after the team returned from WAFCON, but their busy schedule made it difficult. We are happy that we have finally fulfilled our commitment,” he said.
Scorchers vice-captain Temwa Chawinga thanked MERA for the gesture, saying the support would motivate the players to continue working hard and achieving more success for the country.
“We are very grateful to MERA for this donation. It means a lot to us as players because it shows that our efforts are being recognised and appreciated,” said Chawinga. “Such gestures motivate us to continue working hard and representing Malawi with pride. We want to achieve even more for the country, and this kind of support gives us encouragement.”
The donation came a day after the Scorchers defeated Zimbabwe 2-0 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe in the first leg of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualifiers. The Scorchers will now turn their attention to the return leg in Zimbabwe as they look to progress to the next round of the qualifiers.
