The Scorchers have enjoyed a perfect run in their debut campaign including stunning defending champions Nigeria 3-2 in their Group C and finally ending at the top to reach the knockout stages.
Malawi further became only the second national team from the country, across senior and youth men’s and women’s football, to qualify for a FIFA World Cup tournament. The Malawi men’s Under-17 side competed at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2009.
Ahead of their first meeting since 2022 in which neither team have previously won the WAFCON title, Fazili has declared their desire is to beat Cameroon to the WAFCON title.
Malawi want to win WAFCON
“Simply I think let the best team win the final,” a beaming Fazili told reporters ahead of the game. “That’s simply the answer I can give you because even us, it is our first time to reach the final.
“We also want to win, so tomorrow’s (Sunday’s) game, I think let the best team win. I have been in this coaching career for a long time and have achieved a lot, but reaching the WAFCON final is something extraordinary for me.”
Fazili added: “We are in the final, and we are ready to meet Cameroon, and as much as we respect Cameroon, this is now a final, and we are also a big team.
“I think in the final we will have to fight, I think we should do to be the champions. That will be very important to us because reaching the finals only I think to us, what is the importance? I think our aim is to win the Cup.
“We need to be the champions, we are looking to play to win and that will be a very good signal to Africa, and, and maybe the whole World.”
The winner will become the fourth different WAFCON champion, joining 10-time winners Nigeria, two-time champions Equatorial Guinea and 2022 winners South Africa.
“We have a good team, which is composed of youngsters, and experienced players, so, with their combinations I think they have managed to reach this final, and we normally have players who have heart for the game of football.
“They have put everything 100% on the game to reach this far at WAFCON, so, I’m happy with them. I’m very confident with my team, and I’m sure against Cameroon, they will do the same from what they did in the semi-finals.”
On reaching the semis, Fazili said: “For us this is a big achievement. We are very happy it is our first time to play in the WAFCON, and happy we have qualified for the FIFA World Cup, and reaching the final is a good achievement, I’m sure everybody is happy about this.
“The good thing as coaches is that we must bond with players, you know players are not animals, these are human beings, and if they want to be corrected, we need to do that, and I think we should do it in a sober mind. You don’t need to be hard on them.”
WAFCON 2026
The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is taking place from July 26th to August 16th in Morocco, across venues in Rabat and Casablanca. The continent's 16 best sides competed in groups of four before the knockout stages commenced on August 8th.
All you need to know about WAFCON | Group standings and knockout bracket | All the latest WAFCON news
‘You mentioned about ‘Juju’’
On whether Malawi have been succeeding because of ‘Juju’, Fazili responded to the reporter: “You mentioned ‘Juju’?
Before adding: “No ‘Juju’ then I beg your pardon, can you repeat Malawi? The Flames coaches sometimes I think you can get that information, but when you have a project, you are meant to finish, I think you don’t have to concentrate on whatever people are talking about.
“But the game of football is played on the ground in the stadium, so, what I have said is we are looking to end as champions. I think that one will be great for us.”
Including the inaugural tournament in 1998, this is only the third final in which neither finalist had previously lifted the trophy. Nigeria defeated Ghana in 1998, while South Africa beat Morocco in 2022.
Fazili added: “I think Malawi is coming from a background of playing in COSAFA region matches, and it has really helped us to reach this point.
“We have played COSAFA previously, and I think every year without playing at WAFCON and other continental tournaments, so, COSAFA and other countries from SADC region have helped us, they have assisted us by allowing us to play friendly matches.
“I think we shouldn’t look down on ourselves as COSAFA because we have the potential to keep on developing women's football in Africa, and this is very possible.
“I’m sure one day or the other, we are now almost reaching the levels, I don’t want to mention other countries, but we’re almost reaching those levels.”
Fazili concluded: “We only need encouragement and we will make it.”
According to match stats on CAFOnline.com, victory for Malawi would make them the second Southern African team to win the title after South Africa.
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