COSAFA Women’s Championship: Fazili optimistic despite Malawi defeat

It was not a promising start for Malawi at the COSAFA Women’s Championship after suffering a 2-0 loss to hosts South Africa on Wednesday.

However, the Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili has chosen to look at the brighter side of his team’s defeat at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.

FT
Two more games to play in the COSAFA Women’s Championship. pic.twitter.com/aMAcmkM89m

— FA Malawi (@FaMalawi) February 18, 2026

The Silver Strikers legend told COSAFA media that he did not think his team fared badly despite the loss in the Group A clash in Polokwane.

“The game was not bad. We played well and the first half was solid, but in the second half we conceded goals that could have been avoided,” Fazili said.

Fazili explains why Malawi lost to South Africa

The 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship-winner attributed the goals his side conceded in the second half of the game to a comedy of unforced and avoidable errors.

“We made simple mistakes that we should have handled better. These are areas we will correct in training,” the coach added.

What next for South Africa?

More will be expected from the Malawians when they resume the group’s action against Lesotho on Saturday while Banyana Banyana face fellow group leaders Angola.

The Angolans started the tournament with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Lesotho in an early kick-off at the same venue.

The 11-member regional tournament presents Fazili and his South African counterpart Desiree Ellis a platform to prepare for the forthcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations set for Morocco in March.

The teams are drawn into three groups—two comprising four members and the other three. Banyana Banyana are leading Group A which comprises the Scorchers of Malawi, Angola and Lesotho. Defending champions Zambia lead Group B comprising Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Botswana.

Group C consists of Mozambique, Madagascar and Namibia. Mauritius, Comoros and Seychelles and Namibia are conspicuously absent from this year’s competition; hence, the imbalance in the numbers in Group C