Scenes in Lilongwe were a wonder to behold yesterday when the Malawi Women’s National Football Team, the Scorchers, arrived back from Morocco after a historic Caf Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) finals outing.
The plane carrying the Scorchers touched down at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) at exactly 4:30pm.
As the plane taxied to its final destination, it was accorded a water cannon salute, where two fire trucks sprayed water on it.
Then came the moment that everyone had been waiting for. As players, members of the technical panel and other officials disembarked from the plane, they were greeted with ululation from the huge crowd that was led by First Lady Gertrude Mutharika, Cabinet ministers and members of Parliament.
As the Scorchers stepped onto the red carpet the crowd erupted into a noisy wakefulness.
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The atmosphere at the airport was terrific. Simply, the excitement was unmatched.
It was a rare occasion for everyone; players, fans and technical panel members.
The motorcade that carried the Scorchers left KIA around 6pm but it took more than two hours to arrive at Sunbird Capital Hotel.
The team arrived at the hotel at exactly 8:20pm.
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Business came to a standstill in the streets of Lilongwe as people lined up to welcome their heroines.
At Kanengo, fans welcomed the Scorchers with songs.
The climax was at Area 18 in Lilongwe as a huge crowd gathered to welcome the team.
Blaring car horns, red, green and black flags were the most outstanding feature at all stopovers.
It was a moment befitting the occasion.
The party went on as fans celebrated in the streets of Lilongwe.
Scorchers captain Tabitha Chawinga said she felt honoured with the warm reception.
“We thank Malawians for their support. We did not expect it. We are grateful to all Malawians for believing in us,” Tabitha said.
On his part, Blantyre City Mayor Isaac Jomo Osman said he was excited with the warm reception accorded to the Scorchers.
“It is a wonderful experience for everyone. We are honoured,” he said.
At the Wafcon finals, the Scorchers finished second after suffering a 3-0 loss to Cameroon.
The team qualified for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup finals, which is set to be staged in Brazil next year.
Other teams that qualified for World Cup finals are Cameroon, Algeria and Morocco
