Your Excellency
I would like to begin by expressing my profound gratitude to you Mr President for your kind gesture to host us here at Kamuzu Palace for this luncheon.
We feel greatly humbled. We feel privileged and honoured. We do not take this for granted at all.
Thank you, Your Excellency.
Mr President, we have gathered here today to celebrate success.
But more importantly, we are here to remind each other the lesson you have always taught us about what our flames of passion can achieve – even in the face of adversity.
Our national women football team, the Scorchers, are evidence of what we can accomplish as a country. They have blazed their way to the stars of African women football by winning the 2023 Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship which was held in South Africa.
Your Excellency, allow me to inform you that this is the success you inspired.
In June this year, you hosted the team’s Captain, Tabitha Chawinga, and her family in recognition of her hoisting Malawi’s flag high so that the world can see. Through her amazing and brave performances in top European women football, Tabitha is making Malawi proud.
Due to her football commitments, Tabitha could not be with the Scorchers in South Africa. But your words of inspiration to her about the Malawian personality she represents rubbed off on the rest of the Scorchers’ players.
Needless to say, Your Excellency, that in Tabitha’s absence, it was her sister, Temwa, who led the Scorchers as team captain.
As standing-in skipper, Temwa has shown immense leadership qualities like her sister. She has not only taken the team to the top of women football in Africa; she has also etched her name in the records of the championship with double recognition as Player of the Tournament and its top goal scorer with a staggering 9 goals.
Your Excellency
In these young girls, we see qualities that you want in the citizens of the country. In these girls, we see a flaming desire for success. We see courage, hope and resilience and the rewards these qualities can ultimately bring.
These girls are a living expression of the principle that setting goals and fighting to accomplish them brings results, no matter how long it takes and as long as you remain focused.
It has been a winding, slippery almost 20-year long road for us to achieve this.
After years of hard work, in 2021 we made a maiden appearance in Cosafa Cup where we reached the final. However, we failed to get gold. But we did not give up. We regrouped, set targets and continued the fight.
Yet, Mr President, our steadfastness comes in the backdrop of a host of challenges affecting growth of women football.
Like in many parts of the world, women football in Malawi suffers from the primary challenge of investment discrimination. There has not been any significant interest from both the public and private sector to support the game.
For the Scorchers, it has been Football Association of Malawi supporting the team singlehandedly all along, including paying salary for the coach.
But, just as we have seen from the amazing football enterprise at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup which took place in New Zealand and Australia from July to August 2023, we can no longer keep ignoring women football.
Women football is no longer a sideline event. It a centre-stage activity that has proven to be capable of bringing pride, prestige and unity to the nation, just as men’s football and netball do.
But this can only be achieved through adequate and long-term investment.
It is our hope that both your government and the private sector will seize the opportunities which women football presents and support the Scorchers.
Your Excellency,
At this point, for this success that has brought us together today, allow me to acknowledge what a team effort it has been.
Goshen Trust financially supported the team’s travel to the tournament and for the players’ allowances.
The National Women Football Association, with support from Football Association of Malawi, has been there putting in hard work and sacrifices amid the struggle for resources for the team.
The coach and his technical panel have kept learning from previous disappointment and devising ways of coming up with a team that brings glory home at last.
Mr President, at Football Association of Malawi, we believe in your ideas on national development and we are pleased that under your administration, football has delivered results.
Within the past three years, we have seen the Flames going to the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon where the team reached the round of 16.
Within these three years, we have seen Beach Soccer Malawi participating for the first time in the African Cup of Nations tournament which was played in Mozambique.
Within the past three years, we have seen youths from Salima Secondary School finishing third at the CAF African Schools Championship played in South Africa.
Today, we are here celebrating the phenomenal success of our girls in football.
Your Excellency,
At Football Association of Malawi, we see ourselves as one of the institutions that is key in the development agenda of your government.
Among the underlying messages of the triumph of the Scorchers is that we can use football to empower the girl child and develop the country.
On this note, I would like to assure you Mr President that just as you advise us as citizens, the Football Association of Malawi will not be distracted.
We will remain resolute on achieving our vision of raising the bar in the game and contributing to the Malawi 2063 goals.
As you have shown us through your leadership, we might be struggling in some sectors of life but with perseverance and hard work, we shall overcome.
The story of the Scorchers is a story of a rise from ashes to glory, from nothing to greatness.
It is a story that reminds us that it is our strong will and collective effort that will make our nation rise from despair to prosperity.
As I conclude, Your Excellency, I would like to assure you that football is ready to play its part in amplifying your message on resilience and mindset change.
We are ready to play our part in shaping the future of Malawi.
Just like their male counterparts, women football has the power of the masses. It is strategically placed to drive the development agenda of your administration. With support, not even the sky is the limit as to what it can achieve.
Your Excellency, once again, I would like to thank you for this special recognition to our girls.
Thank you all for your attention.
God Bless Us All
