Malawi head coach Lovemore Fazili says his side is ready to take on defending champions Nigeria as they prepare for their opening Group C fixture at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Scorchers, making their first-ever appearance at the continental championship, will begin their campaign against the record 10-time African champions at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday night.
Despite Nigeria’s pedigree in the competition, Fazili believes his players have what it takes to compete and is backing them to put up a strong fight against the Super Falcons.
“I think what I can say is that we are going there to fight because we cannot go to the battlefield aiming to be killed.
“We are going there to fight, and I am sure the players are aware of that,” Fazili told reporters on Monday.
The Malawi coach acknowledged the Super Falcons’ impressive record but stressed that football has often produced unexpected results, giving his team hope of causing an upset.
“Nigeria are the champions, but sometimes history in football can change.
“We have seen before small teams doing wonders, so we are going there to fight and get something positive out of the game after 90 minutes,” he said.
Fazili also dismissed concerns about his team’s lack of experience at the highest level, pointing to a series of international friendlies that have helped prepare the squad for the tournament.
“So far so good. Before and after we qualified for WAFCON, we played plenty of international friendly matches. We have played Australia, South Africa and India,” Fazili added.
Reflecting on Malawi’s qualification journey, the coach said the team earned its place through hard work and intends to show the same determination against Nigeria.
“When we qualified, it was not an easy task. We fought for it, and definitely we are going to do the same when we play Nigeria.”
