Malawi's Scorchers are set for a heroes' welcome fit for royalty today, as First Lady Gertrude Mutharika prepares to personally lead the celebrations when the team touches down at Kamuzu International Airport following their extraordinary run to the WAFCON final.
President Peter Mutharika has vowed the nation will pull out all the stops for the team's return, with State House confirming plans for "a grand welcome" after the Scorchers stunned the continent on their tournament debut before ultimately falling 3-0 to Cameroon in Sunday's final in Rabat, Morocco.
All roads will lead to Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) this afternoon as the Malawi Women's National Football Team arrives home carrying a hard-earned silver medal -- a stunning achievement for a side that went into the tournament as rank outsiders and Fifa's lowest-ranked team, yet defied all expectations to reach the final.
Crucially, the Scorchers' remarkable run also secured Malawi's first-ever qualification for the 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup in Brazil -- a historic milestone that has sent the entire nation into raptures.
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Speaking in Lilongwe on Monday during preparations for the homecoming, Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture Public Relations Officer Macmillan Mwale confirmed government, alongside various stakeholders, had already laid the groundwork to ensure the team receives a fitting reception.
"We have already had a good number of meetings because, after the performance of the Scorchers, we believe they deserve to be appreciated by the country and we want to ensure that we give the best reception to them," Mwale said.
He revealed the welcoming ceremony would draw together a host of stakeholders, including Lilongwe City Council, the Malawi National Council of Sports, the Malawi Police Service, the Malawi Defence Force, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM), the Malawi Olympic Committee and the team's official sponsor, National Bank of Malawi.
The celebrations promise to be a spectacular affair, with Mwale confirming the ceremony would include a full military parade and brass band, with festivities kicking off along the airport road as the team makes its way into the city.
"Malawians should expect the best from the country, as the authorities wanted to give the players and technical team the honour they deserve for reaching the Wafcon final and qualifying for the Women's World Cup," Mwale said.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya was equally effusive, insisting the team's extraordinary run to the final was no fluke, but rather the product of a carefully mapped-out strategy launched back in May.
"If you may recall, we launched a women's football strategic plan on May 18. In this strategy, we have plans that are running from 2025 to 2027. And this strategy basically speaks to our main strategy, which is the Football Association of Malawi 10-year strategy -- from 2024 to 2034," Haiya explained.
He revealed the association's ambitions stretch far beyond Sunday's final, declaring a bold vision to conquer not just southern Africa, but the entire continent -- and ultimately compete on the world stage.
"So, the main message or vision or mission we have in this strategy is to conquer the southern part of Africa and also Africa, and to compete on the world stage. This is the main message and we have been talking about this. We have been clear about this," Haiya said.
Looking ahead to Brazil 2027, Haiya confirmed preparations were already under way, revealing the team would use October's Olympic Games qualifiers as part of their World Cup buildup.
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"Starting in October, we are going to have Olympic Games qualifiers and we will use them as part of our World Cup preparations," he said.
The FAM boss also revealed the association is keeping a close eye on Malawi's Fifa world ranking, with the goal of climbing into double digits -- a significant leap from their current position of 153rd.
Meanwhile, a leading commentary in the Malawian press hailed the Scorchers' achievement as proof that women can break glass ceilings when given a level playing field, crediting the team with achieving something politicians have long failed to do -- uniting a politically polarised nation.
The piece also paid tribute to National Bank of Malawi for backing the team throughout their campaign, while calling on sponsors and stakeholders to ensure the Scorchers are given every resource necessary as they now turn their attention to the ultimate prize: Brazil 2027.
