The Scorchers return to the pitch on Friday with more than a match to win, they carry the hopes of a nation still riding on their historic WAFCON run.
Malawi’s women’s football team faces Zimbabwe at Bingu National Stadium in the first leg of the Olympic qualifier, with supporters now being urged to pack the stands and give the team a strong home backing.
National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc, which recently increased its sponsorship of the Scorchers from K150 million to K1.3 billion, has joined the call for Malawians to rally behind the team.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, NBM plc Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager Akossa Mphepo-Hiwa said the Bank is confident in the team’s ability, building on their performance at Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) recently.
“The Scorchers have had a very good run. We saw them at WAFCON, where they entered as debutants but finished as runners-up. As proud sponsors, we have a lot of faith in the Scorchers and are delighted of what they are doing by putting the Malawian flag on the map,” said Mphepo- Hiwa.
Mphepo-Hiwa has also urged the players to believe in themselves as they carry the hopes of Malawians, whose expectations are high ahead of the crucial qualifier.
She also called on Malawians to turn up in large numbers and support the team.
“As sponsors of the Scorchers, we have already started engaging customers, supporters and fans through various initiatives, including a trivia campaign aimed at building excitement ahead of the game. We hope these activities will create awareness, build hype and help us get a good turnout at the stadium on Friday,” she said.
One of the country’s sports journalists, Praise Majawa concurred with Mphepo-Hiwa saying the Scorchers stand a better chance of carrying the day.
The return leg will take place on October 13 in Harare.
The Olympic games are scheduled for Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) of which four teams from Africa are expected to participate.
