Haiya: Football transformation ‘on track’ after Malawi’s historic World Cup berth

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya has hailed the Scorchers’ historic qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, declaring that the country’s football transformation is well and truly on track.

Taking to Facebook following Malawi’s stunning 2-1 victory over Ghana in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, Haiya congratulated the team on securing the nation’s first ever appearance at football’s biggest stage.

‘Football Transformation is on track!’ Haiya wrote. ‘Congratulations to our Scorchers on securing Malawi’s first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance. A historic milestone for our football and our nation.’

The brief but jubilant message adds to a wave of celebration that has swept across Malawi following the team’s remarkable achievement, with the Scorchers defying the odds as the lowest-ranked side at this year’s tournament to book their place among the 32 nations competing at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Haiya’s comments echo scenes of unbridled joy that broke out following Malawi’s qualification for the tournament’s quarter-finals stage, when the FAM president himself was pictured leading emotional celebrations in the team’s dressing room, complete with gospel singing and prayers of thanksgiving.

His latest tribute also reflects a broader narrative FAM has sought to build around the national team’s recent success, with the association’s leadership repeatedly framing the Scorchers’ rise as evidence of a longer-term transformation taking hold within Malawian football, rather than a one-off fluke on the continental stage.

The World Cup qualification caps a remarkable few weeks for Malawian football, with the Scorchers having already secured a place in Wednesday’s Wafcon semi-final against Algeria, keeping alive the possibility of an even more historic run at this year’s tournament in Morocco.