The Malawi Under 17 Girls National Football Team will be hoping for a perfect start as they host Burundi in the 2027 Fifa U-17 World Cup qualifiers at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe this afternoon.
A win for the girls would be an advantage for the Young Scorchers ahead of the second leg in Bujumbura, Burundi next week.
There is little room for error for the Young Scorchers in this home clash.
The two sides are meeting for the first time in this age group in women’s football.
Both Malawi and Burundi have talent in abundance and this afternoon’s match promises to be an exciting one.
- Advertisement -
The Young Scorchers will be looking to build from their impressive performance at the 2025 Cosafa Girls Championship last year.
Then, the Young Scorchers reached their maiden Cosafa Cup final but lost to Zambia in Windhoek, Namibia.
Coach Chisomo Nkhoma has maintained a bulk of the historic squad including Fatima Lali, Victoria Mkwala, Ethel Tambala, Dorothy Manda, Talandira Kachala and Eneless Fabiano.
Nkhoma said the girls are geared and determined to start with a win.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
“It is a crucial match for us. We know the importance of winning the first leg but these are young girls so we need to support them,” Nkhoma said.
Nkhoma said she was also cautious playing the first leg at home.
“We need to go into the match with the right altitude. We have confidence in the girls that they will do a good job for us,” she said.
The overall between Malawi and Burundi will face either South Sudan or Ethiopia in the next round of the qualifiers.
