Malawi U-20 women’s head coach Maggie Chombo has described a victory over Nigeria’s Falconets as the biggest achievement of her career, as both sides prepare to clash in the निर्णative final round of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking ahead of the first-leg encounter in Nigeria on Saturday, Chombo highlighted the magnitude of the challenge and the potential impact of a win for Malawian football.
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“Beating Nigeria would be the biggest achievement of my life and for the entire Malawian football community,” Chombo said during her pre-match press conference on Friday in Ikenne.
The Malawian coach noted that her side is still building experience at this level, having previously fallen short in earlier qualification campaigns.
“This is our third time participating in the U-20 qualifiers. In 2020, we were knocked out by Zimbabwe, and in 2021, we lost to Zambia,” she explained.
Chombo, however, believes that overcoming Nigeria—one of Africa’s most dominant teams at youth level—would mark a turning point for the country’s women’s game.
“Winning against Nigeria and qualifying for the World Cup would be a remarkable achievement for me as a coach and for the players as well. It would represent a huge development in women’s football in Malawi,” she added.
Nigeria’s Falconets, perennial contenders in the competition, will host the first leg before traveling for the return fixture in Malawi.
The aggregate winner over the two legs will secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, with both nations aiming to make history on the continental stage.
