Lovemore Fazili: Football Association of Malawi.
Malawi senior women’s football team coach Lovemore Fazili has changed his tune on facing Angola in the final round of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.
The Scorchers coach had earlier said no other team would stop his charges after they beat star-studded Zambia 3-2 in a friendly in Lusaka. However, the Malawi coach now insists the Scorchers need to tread carefully in the final qualifying round.
“It’s a tricky fixture, especially since many expected Zimbabwe to progress. We need to plan well, continue playing friendly matches, and analyze Angola’s style of play. As a coach, I will do my best to assess their strengths and weaknesses,” he told the Football Association of Malawi media.
He was reacting to the outcome of a first-round, second-leg match which saw Zimbabwe beating the Angolans 2-1 to bring the score to three-all on aggregate after the latter had won the first-leg by a similar margin. Angola eventually won the game on post-match penalties.
On Tuesday, Fazili said the tour of Zambia, which started with a 2-0 loss to the hosts on Sunday, prepared his team to face any team in Southern Africa.
“Zambia is a strong team in women’s football in this region. We have beaten them but we still respect them. If you compare Malawi to Zimbabwe and Angola, they are not at our level. This was not a friendly match. It was like a competitive match. Therefore, any team that will slip up will get five or six goals,” he said.
Malawi meet Angola in October this year with the overall winner over two legs proceeding to the WAFCON finals.
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