Malawi head coach Lovemore Fazili praised his players after the debutants secured a historic win over defending champions Nigeria in their WAFCON 2026 opener on Tuesday, www.aclsports.com reports.
Temwa Chawinga’s brace and Tabitha Chawinga’s second-half strike secured a first-ever WAFCON victory for the debutants, one of the biggest results in Malawi’s football history.
“First of all, I have to thank the whole team and the players who played today. Secondly, I think this victory has come at the right time considering that I have a lot of young players in this team, alongside some professional players,” Fazili said.
“The combination of the two has worked well for us and we have managed to beat Nigeria. But Nigeria is a big team, so this is a very important result for us.”
The Malawi coach credited his side’s tactical approach for helping the Scorchers overcome 10-time champions Nigeria.
“As I have said, Nigeria is a strong team and the champions, so facing them was never going to be easy. We needed different tactical approaches to deal with them, and I think we managed to do that. We scored three goals and were able to get the win. It is a very difficult team to beat, so this victory is a bonus for us.”
He described the result as a huge moment for Malawi and its people.
“It is a huge moment for the team and for Malawians. This is our first time qualifying for the World Cup. I have a lot of young and talented players. We have been building this team for almost four years, so reaching this point is a very big achievement for us.”
Fazili also credited the unity within the squad and the experience gained from international friendlies for the team’s progress.
“The special thing about this team is that these players have been together. The Chawinga sisters and the rest of the squad have developed a strong understanding. We have also played many international friendly matches, and the experience from those games has helped us build a solid team capable of competing at this level.
“It is not just about one or two players. Everyone has contributed to where we are today. But I am not saying we are champions already. We are still fighting and still learning,” he added.
He was also pleased with the contribution of Malawi’s younger players in the victory.
“I am very impressed with the young players. We have talented youngsters throughout the team, and some of them played an important role today. It is the combination of young players and experienced players that helped us beat Nigeria.”
