CONFIRMED! Malawi to Face Nigeria in Final Qualifying Round

Malawi's Under-20 Women's Football team will face Nigeria in the final qualifying round of the 2026 Poland FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifiers.

Nigeria beat Senegal 2-1 on aggregate, drawing 1-1 on Saturday, while Malawi knocked out Guinea Bissau with a 6-2 aggregate win.

The Junior Scorchers are the only COSAFA region team left in the tournament, after South Africa and Zambia were eliminated by Ghana and Uganda, respectively.

Malawi will likely travel to Nigeria for the first leg between May 1-3, 2026, with the return leg from May 8-10, 2026.

The fourth round will produce four teams that will qualify for the World Cup from the following ties:

- Cameroon vs Tanzania
- Ghana vs Uganda
- Ivory Coast vs Benin
- Nigeria vs Malawi

Gwengwe’s Late Winner Boosts Golden Boot Race

England based Malawian forward Shaquille Gwengwe netted a 90th‑minute winner for Poole Town in their 2‑1 away victory over Basingstoke in the Southern League Premier South on Saturday.

His strike in the dying seconds handed Poole the three points, after the team’s goalkeeper also pulled off a last‑minute penalty save to seal the win.

Gwengwe’s tally now sits at 31 goals out of the 63 Poole have scored this season, to top the golden‑boot race. His closest rival, Ryan Seager of Havant & Waterlooville, has 30 goals.

Poole Town currently hold 58 points from 30 league matches, sitting in second place with 12 games remaining.

Junior Scorchers edge close to WC Qualifiers

Malawi's Under-20 Women's Football team, the Junior Scorchers, are one step closer to qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-20 World Cup after securing a spot in the final round of qualification with a 6-2 aggregate win over Guinea Bissau on Saturday.

The team delivered a stunning second-half performance, netting four goals to secure a 5-1 win at the Bingu National Stadium.

Guinea Bissau took an early lead through Lamarana Bali in the second minute but Malawi equalized four minutes later as it was 1-1 at break.

In the second half, Victoria Mkwala scored in the 53rd minute, and Fatima Lali extended the lead in the 72nd minute. Mayamiko Mkandawire scored a stunner from distance, and Lali sealed her brace in the 93rd minute.

Head coach Maggie Chombo-Sadick praised her team's fighting spirit, saying, "We had another bad performance in the first half, but after talking to the girls, they delivered an exceptional performance."

SULUMBA STAYS AT LALI LUBANI

Mighty Wanderers has announced that veteran forward, Muhammad Sulumba, has extended his stay at the team with a one year contract with the team.

Sulumba signed a 7 month contract last year to mark his third coming at the team and impressed with brilliant goals and vast experience at the team.

This ends all the speculations that the forward was about to join a team outside Malawi after his expiry of contract.

He has helped the team to win the TNM Super League in the 2025 season, ending an eight year drought.

Madinga Shines in Zambia as Zeliat, Macheso Make Debuts

Francisco Madinga was the star of the show when five Malawians converged in Zambia, scoring the lone goal in Kansanshi Dynamos' 1-0 win over ZANACO in the MTN Super League on Wednesday.

His 36th-minute strike secured a crucial win for Dynamos, lifting them out of the relegation zone. It was his fourth of the season, and it helped Dynamos pick up their fourth league win.

Meanwhile, Zeliat Nkhoma and Patrick Macheso made their debuts for Dynamos, with Nkhoma playing 66 minutes and Macheso featuring in the first half.

Chimwemwe Idana also started for ZANACO but was substituted at half time for Robert Saizi.

Dynamos now have 21 points from 19 games, moving up to 13th, while ZANACO drop to fourth with 28 points.