By Rick Dzida
It is no coincidence that Malawi’s women are conquering international sports while the men’s national football team stumbles.
The women’s football team, the Scorchers, clinched the COSAFA title in 2023, qualified for their historic first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), and advanced to the 2026 WAFCON semi-finals to secure an extraordinary qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Meanwhile, the national netball team, the Queens, has consistently ranked among the elite top-six globally.
Contrast this with the Malawi men’s football team, the Flames, trapped in a perpetual cycle of early tournament exits and regional underachievement. This gap is a stark indictment of systemic support versus sheer, unadulterated grit.
Yes, the Scorchers rose from historical neglect to lift the 2023 COSAFA Championship, fought through the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, and defied expectations to reach the global stage.
Indeed, the Queens has maintained a permanent place as a world-class powerhouse, famously beating global giants like Scotland, Barbados, and Fiji on raw tactical discipline.
On the other hand, the Flames are burdened by perennial stagnation, failing to break past continental barriers, and lacking a single major regional trophy equivalent to the women’s milestones.
But what makes it a difference with respect to performance between women and men football?
The difference is hunger, discipline, and toxic entitlement. The Men’s Flames suffer from a culture of unearned privilege. They receive funding simply because they are men. This financial safety net has bred complacency. They lack tactical discipline. They lack the pride to fight for the flag.
Conversely, the Scorchers and the Queens play with fire in their bellies. They know nobody will hand them a victory. They fight against poor infrastructure. They fight against low pay. They play for the love of the game and the honour of Malawi.
In fact, female footballers operate with razor-sharp discipline and structural grit, maximizing every rare international window they are given.
What should the Flames do?
The Flames must match the unyielding work ethic and hunger demonstrated by the Scorchers.
We also must stop treating the men’s team like fragile princes. If the Flames want to stop embarrassing us, they must adopt immediate changes.
Every single player bonus should be directly tied to wins and tournament qualification. No victories, no allowances.
The hiring of coaches based on local political favours must be immediately stopped. There is need to build a modern youth academy pipeline that mimics the grit of the women’s developmental structures.
In fact, purge administrative nepotism and select technical panels based strictly on progressive competence rather than old-boy networks.
We must demand an immediate financial audit of the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) regarding men’s team spending.
In conclusion, the undeniable contrast between female triumph and male mediocrity proves that competence belongs to those who hustle, not those with historical privilege.
If Malawian women can shatter global glass ceilings with inferior funding and systemic roadblocks, it is entirely justified to trust them with major leadership positions across our national institutions. The era of sidelining women is over; let those who deliver lead.
