Chawinga Won't Pretend Malawi Can Touch Nigeria, Not Yet
Malawi captain Tabitha Chawinga has ruled out any talk of an upset against Nigeria when the two sides open Group C at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on July 28.
The Olympique Lyonnais striker told reporters the Scorchers know exactly where they stand. "We can't say we will challenge Nigeria. We are all Africans. We can maybe say we are challenging them if we go to the FIFA Women's World Cup. Nigeria are still dominating African football," Chawinga said, as reported by Pan Africa Football.
Malawi are making their WAFCON debut in Morocco after several failed qualification attempts, and Chawinga struck a different tone when asked about the tournament itself. "Now it is our turn. We have qualified, and we are very happy. We can't wait to start the games, and we will see what we can do now," she said.
The build-up has been rough. Malawi lost 2-1 to hosts Morocco in a Thursday friendly in Rabat, their fourth defeat in five winless matches. Beyond Nigeria, the Scorchers also face Egypt's Cleopatras on August 1 and Zambia's Copper Queens on August 5.
