”Fazili to sit back at World Cup”

Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili will not serve as head coach of the Malawi National Women’s Team at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil due to lacking the required CAF A coaching licence for international tournament leadership.

Nevertheless, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President Fleetwood Haiya has confirmed that Fazili will continue as a member of the team’s technical staff during the competition.

“We are committed to keeping him as part of the technical setup,” Haiya stated.

Haiya indicated that Fazili will complete the upcoming CAF A License coaching programme, which CAF has authorised FAM to deliver locally in November or December.

“However, the coaching roster designated to lead the Scorchers at the World Cup will be finalised before he completes his CAF A coaching certification,” Haiya explained.

Fazili guided the Scorchers to their inaugural Women Africa Cup of Nations appearance between July and August, where they finished as runners-up and secured qualification for their first World Cup participation.

This achievement established Malawi as the lowest-ranked nation to ever qualify for a World Cup across both genders.

The tournament will take place from 24 June to 25 July 2027 across eight stadiums that previously hosted the Men’s FIFA World Cup in 2014.

The group stage draw will occur on 11 December 2026 at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Modern Art in Brazil.