Malawi Under-20 Women National Football Team Coach Maggie Chombo- Sadik said there was no time to relax or waste if the team was to realise its dream of qualifying for the 2026 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Poland.
The Young Scorchers progressed to the second round after edging out Central African Republic (CAR) 4-2 on aggregate having won 3-1 at home and drawn 1-1 away in Cameroon.
Chombo-Sadik said the side needs time to blend and build cohesion to be ready for their clash against South Sudan in September.
“We should not get carried away with the current feat. We did well and we went past the huddle but we need to improve our performance. We noted some areas that need attention and we can achieve this if we stay in camp and play friendly matches,” she said.
The coach commended her charges for sticking to the game plan to thwart CAR who were hoping to overturn the tables.
“The girls were fantastic and they executed our game plan well hence our progress to the next round,” she said.
During the match, CAR scored in the 11th minute through Maimouna Daoud, as they attempted to stun Malawi.
However, Chombo- Sadik made her only substitution of the match at half time when she introduced Anna Baziliyo for Victoria Mkwala.
The move changed the complexion of the game as Leticia Chinyamula equalised two minutes into the second half, frustrating CAR’s comeback plans.
Former footballer Kuruwa Ngwira said the team should be given enough support.
“The girls have shown that they have potential to do well. However, without adequate preparations then we should forget about qualifying,” Chinyamula said.
