The silver medals are already in the cabinet, but the rewards for the Scorchers’ historic WAFCON run are still coming.
Airtel Malawi has rewarded each player with a 5G router and one year of free data as the team turns its attention to another major assignment, the 2028 Olympic qualifiers against Zimbabwe.
The reward recognises the Scorchers’ remarkable run in Morocco, where they reached their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final and returned home with silver medals.
Airtel head of public relations Steve Kapoloma said the gesture was in recognition of the team’s achievement in Rabat.
The Scorchers’ WAFCON campaign captured the country’s attention after they defeated Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals and Algeria 3-1 in the semi-finals before losing 3-0 to Cameroon in the final.
But the celebrations now face another test.
Malawi will host Zimbabwe’s Mighty Warriors at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Friday in the first leg of the Olympic qualifier.
FAM executive committee member Major General Gilbert Mitawa thanked Airtel for the support, saying the gesture would motivate the players ahead of their upcoming assignments.
The Zimbabwe tie will be decided over two legs, with the return match scheduled for Harare on October 13.
The Scorchers have retained much of the squad that delivered the historic WAFCON campaign, including captain Tabitha Chawinga, Temwa Chawinga, Faith Chimzimu, Rose Kadzere and Chimwemwe Madise.
A win over Zimbabwe would move Malawi into the next round, where they would face the winner between Kenya and Seychelles.
For a team that only recently announced itself as a force in African women’s football, the message is clear, the WAFCON silverware was not the end of the journey.
Now the Scorchers have another target, the Olympics.
