BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Women’s National Football Team, the Scorchers, will receive a heroes’ welcome in Lilongwe on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, following their historic run at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has confirmed that the team will be welcomed through a public parade after arriving at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) at 15:30 hours from Morocco.
Ministry spokesperson Macmillan Mwale told MaraviPost Sports Desk,that government has organized the parade to honour the Scorchers for their outstanding performance at the continental tournament.
The Scorchers made history by reaching their first-ever WAFCON final, finishing the tournament as runners-up after a remarkable campaign that captured the attention of Malawians.
Their achievement also secured Malawi a place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, giving the country another major milestone on the international football stage.
The team’s journey in Morocco demonstrated its competitive growth, with the Scorchers producing impressive results against some of Africa’s established women’s football nations.
Malawi opened its campaign with a 3-2 victory over defending champions Nigeria, before recording a 3-1 win against Egypt and later lost 1-2 to Zambia, but the result did not stop them from progressing to the knockout stages after finishing strongly in their group.
Malawi continued its impressive run in the knockout stages, defeating Algeria 3-1 in the semi-final to reach the WAFCON final for the first time in the history of the team.
Although the Scorchers ultimately finished as runners-up, their performance represented a major breakthrough for Malawian women’s football and secured the team qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Mwale said top government officials, the Malawi National Council of Sports, Football Association of Malawi, Lilongwe City Council and representatives of various companies will welcome the team at KIA.
He said the celebrations will then continue along a parade route from the airport through Kanengo before the team reaches Area 18.
At Area 18, Mwale said the Malawi Defence Force Band will receive and escort the players to their place of rest, adding that the guest of honour will be announced later.
Mwale explained that because of limited space at the airport, supporters will have an opportunity to celebrate with the players along the designated parade route.
Sports analyst Enock Banda has welcomed the government’s decision, saying the Scorchers deserve to be celebrated as heroes after putting Malawi on the continental and global football map.
The Scorchers’ historic WAFCON campaign has provided one of the biggest moments in Malawi’s football history, with their return home expected to give supporters an opportunity to celebrate a team that has raised the country’s profile on the African and global stage.
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