National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc has pledged to settle outstanding allowances and match bonuses owed to Malawi’s national women’s football team, the Scorchers, as the side prepared for its historic Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final against Cameroon in Rabat.
NBM chief executive Harold Jiya visited the team at its hotel in the Moroccan capital on Sunday, accompanied by Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya. Jiya assured the players that outstanding payments would be settled and encouraged them to concentrate on the final.
The commitment came at the end of a campaign that represented a significant milestone for Malawian women’s football. The Scorchers reached the WAFCON final for the first time, advancing to the title decider after defeating Algeria 3-1 in the semi-final.
Their qualification for the tournament had itself marked an important breakthrough. Malawi secured its place at the finals after defeating Angola 2-0 in October 2025, earning a return to the continental stage and setting the foundation for its historic run in Morocco.
NBM has been an important corporate partner of women’s football in Malawi. In June 2025, the bank announced a K1.58 billion sponsorship package covering several sporting activities, including K430 million for women’s football. Of that allocation, K130 million was earmarked for the Scorchers.
Jiya told the players that NBM remained committed to the team after supporting its campaign. His intervention placed the issue of player payments alongside the wider institutional and commercial support that has helped the Scorchers compete at continental level.
The pledge, however, represents a commitment to settle the outstanding amounts rather than confirmation that the payments had already been made at the time of the visit.
Haiya praised the Scorchers for generating widespread public interest in Malawi and urged the players to complete their campaign strongly. Captain Tabitha Chawinga also acknowledged NBM’s contribution, while thanking FAM and its leadership for their support.
The final subsequently ended in disappointment for Malawi, with Cameroon defeating the Scorchers 3-0 in Rabat on 16 August. Marie Ngah scored twice and Naomi Ndjoah Eto added another goal as Cameroon secured its first WAFCON title.
The result brought Malawi’s debut campaign to a close, but the Scorchers’ appearance in the final remains a landmark achievement for the country and for Southern African women’s football.
The episode also illustrates the increasingly important relationship between corporate sponsorship and the development of African women’s sport. Across the continent, national teams and women’s competitions continue to operate within financial environments where commercial partnerships can influence preparation, travel, player welfare and the professionalisation of the game.
For Malawi, NBM’s involvement has extended beyond a conventional branding arrangement. At the same time, the issue of outstanding bonuses highlights the importance of ensuring that financial commitments to players are predictable, transparent and settled within agreed timeframes.
For the Scorchers, the tournament result does not diminish the significance of reaching the final. Their campaign has expanded Malawi’s presence in African women’s football and demonstrated the competitive potential of a team supported by domestic structures, international experience and corporate investment.
The longer-term challenge will be to convert that momentum into sustained investment in women’s football, including player development, domestic competition, professional pathways and reliable financial arrangements.
NBM’s pledge to settle the outstanding bonuses therefore comes at a consequential moment. While the Scorchers leave Morocco without the continental title, their run to the final has provided a platform from which Malawian football can consider what sustained investment in the women’s game might achieve beyond a single tournament.
