By Edwin Mbewe
CASABLANCA-(MaraviPost)-Malawi National Women’s football team coach Lovemore Fazil has expressed strong optimism about his squad’s ability to match Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses in an international friendly today in Casablanca.
Speaking from Morocco, Fazil stated that the team’s preparation time has been sufficient to compete effectively against the Moroccan side in the match, scheduled for 21:30 CAT.
“Everything is okay, and we are prepared for the match, considering what we’ve been doing in camp and since our arrival here,” Fazil explains. “Morocco is a strong team, similar to Zambia and South Africa. Our primary goal here isn’t solely to defeat the Atlas Lionesses, but to further develop our team as we prepare for the Angola game in October.”
Fazil emphasized the developmental aspect of the friendly.
“Winning will be a bonus for us, but our aim is to build the team and motivate the players. They need to understand what it’s like to compete against high-profile teams. Morocco is also aware that the Scorchers are a formidable team.
“While we haven’t played in WAFCON before, they’re familiar with our past performances against South Africa and Zambia, and our games in COSAFA.” he added.
He continued, “We know where to start this evening, and they are aware of that. We don’t see much difference between the playing styles of Zambia and South Africa; they play a similar type of football, with perhaps minor individual performance gaps.
“This is also something we have in our team. We have experienced and talented players, so I am confident we will match them, regardless of their style of play.”
The match will be held at Kenitra Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
The Scorchers, who are preparing for the final WAFCON qualifying round against Angola in October, have engaged in several international friendlies this year.
In February, they played Zambia, winning 3-2 and losing 2-0 in Lusaka on the 23rd and 25th, respectively.
Lovemore Fazil’s side also faced South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in two friendlies in South Africa on April 5th and 8th, losing 2-1 and 3-0.
However, the Scorchers have shown significant progress in recent years, notably winning the COSAFA Cup in 2023 – Malawi’s first-ever triumph in the tournament.
The team defeated South Africa 4-3 in the group stages to reach the semifinals before overcoming then-reigning champions Zambia 2-0 in the final.