A tale of two nations: Malawi’s rise, Botswana’s reckoning

Four years ago, at the 2022 COSAFA Women’s Championship, Malawi and Botswana were separated by nothing more than a 1-1 draw in a tough group that also included Tanzania. Today, the two neighbours could hardly look more different on the continental stage. Malawi’s Scorchers have just returned home from Morocco as WAFCON 2026 runners-up and newly minted 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers. Botswana’s Mares were not in Morocco at all.

The contrast is stark enough to demand explanation. Malawi qualified for a first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations appearance in October 2025, beating Angola 2-0 on aggregate after two late goals from Faith Chinzimu sealed the tie. Nine months later, in the newly expanded 16-team tournament, the Scorchers were drawn into one of the toughest groups alongside defending champions Nigeria, Zambia, and Egypt.