By Llywellenie Mpasa:
The Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has reaffirmed its belief that women’s football can play a key role in raising the country’s global football profile.
Fam President Fleetwood Haiya said structured investment in grassroots development, talent identification and elite pathways was essential for sustaining the growth of the women’s game and keeping Malawi competitive internationally.
He said this during the launch of the Women’s Football Strategy Plan for 2025-27 at Mpira Village in Blantyre on Monday.
“The potential in women’s football is enormous. With proper structures from grassroots level, Malawi can consistently produce players who are capable of performing at the highest level,” he said.
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Haiya said the strategy was designed to strengthen football development from community level to the national stage by ensuring early talent identification and continuous exposure to competitive football.
“This strategy is part of our long-term vision for football development and we want to ensure that women’s football grows in a structured and sustainable manner while aligning with the Malawi 2063 agenda,” he said.
The renewed focus comes as the Scorchers continue to make progress in regional and continental competitions, highlighted by their historic qualification for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco, the country’s first appearance at the tournament.
Malawi women’s football rise has also been marked by the Scorchers’ 2023 Cosafa Women’s Championship triumph, following their first final appearance in 2021.
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At youth level, the Malawi Under-20 women’s national team recently reached the final qualification stage for the first time and recorded a notable 2-1 victory over Nigeria in a Fifa U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
However, Nigeria advanced 3-2 on aggregate, having won the first leg 2-0. National Women’s Football Association (NWFA) Chairperson Adellaide Migogo described the strategy as a timely framework for strengthening the women’s game and expanding opportunities for girls.
“We are working closely with stakeholders to ensure that girls are identified early and given proper development pathways to reach elite level. Our focus is on strengthening grassroots structures by supporting local leagues, coaching education and talent scouting so that no talented girl is left behind in the system,” she said.
Blantyre City Mayor Isaac Jomo Osman, who is also owner of Ntopwa Football Club, said the initiative could transform women’s football if fully supported by stakeholders, pledging backing for its implementation.
“We believe that with the right commitment from both the public and private sector, Malawi can produce women footballers who can compete confidently on the global stage,” Osman said.
