RABAT-(MaraviPost)-Malawi women’s football pioneer and Blantyre City Mayor Isaac Jomo Osman believes the Scorchers have an 85 percent chance of winning the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco.
Osman made the remarks in an interview with MaraviPost Sports Desk from Morocco, where the tournament is being held, ahead of Malawi’s semi-final clash against Algeria.
He said the Scorchers’ impressive performances in the tournament have given Malawians enough reason to believe that the team can go all the way and lift the continental trophy.
Osman described Malawi’s upcoming match against Algeria as unpredictable, saying the Scorchers have the quality to overturn any deficit should they find themselves trailing.
“If you look at our team, even if the Scorchers are trailing by two goals, they can still come back because our attacking third is very strong. We have hope that the team will do well,” said Osman.
He added that the performance of the Scorchers has also won the admiration of football fans in Morocco, who have continued to offer the team encouragement throughout the tournament.
“Even Moroccan people are happy with our team and they are giving us encouragement,” Osman said.
Osman also praised Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya for placing greater emphasis on women’s football and supporting the Scorchers’ campaign.
Meanwhile, football analyst Charles Grandmaster Nyirenda has also expressed strong belief that Malawi can return home with the WAFCON trophy.
Nyirenda said the Scorchers have players capable of competing at the highest international level, giving them an advantage against the remaining teams in the tournament.
“If you look at the Scorchers, they have players who play high-level football at international level compared to some of the opponents remaining in the tournament,” said Nyirenda.
The Scorchers started their WAFCON campaign on July 28, 2026, with a stunning 3-2 victory over Nigeria, a ten-time WAFCON champions.
Malawi followed up the victory with another impressive performance on August 1, defeating Egypt 3-1 to strengthen their position in the tournament.
They suffered their first defeat on August 5 when they lost 2-1 to Zambia, but the result did not prevent the Scorchers from progressing to the knockout stage.
On August 8, Malawi bounced back strongly by beating Ghana 2-1, a result that sent the Scorchers into the semi-finals and secured the country a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
