Malawi will go into the fixture having lost only one game but topped their group that included champions Nigeria. Their only defeat came against Zambia losing 2-1 in a Group C match.
The Scorchers then qualified for the quarter-final stage where they came up against the Black Queens of Ghana. In the historic clash, Malawi secured a 2-1 win to eliminate Ghana and reach the semis.
Malawi are competing at the continental stage for the very first time since the tournament was created in 1998.
‘Malawi can still go far’
“We have been tough on players, telling them why we are playing tomorrow's (Wednesday’s) game because it’s very important,” Fazili told reporters.
“If we reach the final it will be another milestone for the country, players, and us as a technical panel.”
Fazili further stated after qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and reaching the semi-finals, the new goal is to reach the final.
“We have come this far, and we believe we can go further. Our target now is the final. The girls are ready and all players are available,” said a confident Fazili.
The Malawi tactician further addressed shortfalls in the squad noting the technical team had reviewed past mistakes from previous matches—polishing up the goalkeeping, defense, midfield, and striking departments.
“The players are not relaxing. They haven’t gone on honeymoon. They are fully focused and geared up for the game,” added Fazili, with their eyes firmly set on reaching the WAFCON final for the first time in history.
Malawi star Vitumbiko Mercy Mkandawire remained confident ahead of their match against Algeria.
“We are very motivated by the support and goodwill messages coming from back home in Malawi. That support gives us the strength to keep fighting and give our all,” added Mkandawire.
Apart from the semis spot, the victory secured Malawi a direct ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in Brazil.
Malawi plays with courage
Meanwhile, Algeria coach Farid Benstiti said his side’s success is built on collective unity and teamwork rather than individual brilliance.
“We are a strong team with collective unity and teamwork, we have already seen this happen in previous matches, and we are now ready for the Malawi test,” said Benstiti.
Benstiti, however, acknowledged that the Malawi team plays with a lot of courage and shares a similar competitive spirit with his side.
“They (Malawi) are a team like us with a lot of courage,” said Benstiti.
Just like Malawi, Algeria have also qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Algeria midfielder Ines Belloumou said the team is taking a step at a time in their quest to win the WAFCON.
The four semi-finalists at the 2026 WAFCON will qualify directly for the World Cup, while two additional teams will have another chance through the FIFA inter-confederation play-off tournament.
The losing quarterfinalists will compete in play-off matches to determine the two African representatives for the inter-confederation play-offs.
Competing at their first-ever WAFCON, the Scorchers have exceeded every expectation by reaching the semi-finals and becoming one of Africa’s representatives at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.
The Scorchers head into the Algeria match with confidence after a strong group-stage campaign in which they beat defending champions Nigeria and Egypt before narrowly losing to Zambia while still finishing top of the group.
