Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga have carried Malawi’s hopes on the football pitch, but the government knows their time will not last forever.
Now, the Malawi government has turned to schools to find the stars who will take over when the sisters hangs their boots.
Local Government Minister Ben Phiri has directed every school in the country to establish a girls’ football team, with part of the K100 million allocated for sports under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) expected to support the initiative.
Phiri announced the plan on Saturday in Thyolo during the installation of Senior Chief Mulenga.
He revealed that his Ministry had reached an agreement with the Ministry of Sports to promote football and other sporting activities in schools.
“The Scorchers are making us proud, and we want every school to have women’s football, netball and continued development of football. We need to identify players who will replace Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga,” he said.
The initiative seeks to widen the pool of young players who could eventually represent Malawi, as the country looks to sustain the progress of the Scorchers, whose performances have raised expectations for women’s football.
Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga have become prominent figures in Malawian football and abroad, inspiring young players through their achievements.
The Chawinga sisters have been instrumental in the Scorchers’ rise, helping Malawi finish runners-up at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
