By Suleman Chitera
National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc, says it is impressed with the Scorchers’ overall performance in the Women’s Three-Nations Tournament underway in Lilongwe as the team prepares for the upcoming WAFCON.
During the tournament at Bingu National Stadium, Malawi put up competitive performances, despite their 2–1 loss Zimbabwe in the opening match on Friday, before a one-all with Zambia on Sunday.
With those results, the hosts stand no chance to win the tournament as it is being played on a league-format.
This means Zimbabwe lead the table with three points, followed by Zambia’s point as they head into their last encounter on Tuesday.
Malawi’s consolation goal against Zimbabwe came through a 40th-minute strike from Faith Chinzimu, while Rose Kabzere netted a powerful 56th-minute rebound to secure the draw against Zambia.
NBM plc Product Development and Strategy Manager, Ibrahim Chapeyama, said that as the official Scorchers’ sponsors, they were satisfied with the team’s overall performance and described the tournament as an important foundation for WAFCON preparations.
“We are focusing on the positives because the coach was able to try out new players. We are impressed with what we have seen and are hoping for the best,” said Chapeyama.
He added that the Bank’s sponsorship aims to strengthen the development of women’s football and enhance Malawi’s competitiveness at the continental level.
“We have been with them from the start. We sponsored the premiership that led to WAFCON qualification. Our message has always been the same: keep pushing and make the dream come true. We want the team not just to qualify again, but to go beyond and win it,” he said.
Commenting on the matches, Scorchers Coach Lovemore Fazili said he was also encouraged by the team’s performance and emphasized the need for squad depth as part of the build-up to major future competitions.
“The games were not bad. I wanted to give a chance to players who have not played before. We cannot rely on just a few individuals building a strong team requires depth” he said.
He said friendly matches are vital for assessing new combinations and refining tactical harmony.
“Even though we failed to win the tournament, I was looking for coordination between the new players and the usual squad. We learnt a lot from Zimbabwe and Zambia, and I believe they learnt from us as well,” Fazili said.
Zambia Coach Charles Haaluubono also praised Malawi’s continued progress in women’s football.
“They keep improving, and we are now almost at the same level if not already there. You can see young players coming in and performing very well. I follow the Malawian league closely, and the development here is impressive,” he said
