By Augustine Mukoka
COPPER QUEENS: Our Opponents Are Exploiting Our Weaknesses
If you watch both the Nigeria and Egypt matches at WAFCON 2026, this is how we were defending – high line defense.
Both Egypt and Nigeria were throwing long balls in similar fashion because they have watched our videos and observed our defenders don’t have pace.
The only defender with decent pace is Margaret Belemu, but that pace is advantageous to her and the team when overlapping.
Secondly, the back four is not disciplined enough to successfully sustain offside traps with this tactic.
So, why do we continue with a high line defense when we know our strength and weaknesses. If anything, the team only has one natural central defender.
The Nigerian team that beat us is one of their weakest collections in recent times. In fact, most of the players were recovering from injuries and not at their best.
Asisat Oshoala is aging. At 31, she should not be out pacing us in that fashion.
Look at how the youngsters changed our game in the second half such that we would now even get attempts at goal.
Winger Prisca Chilufya plays very few minutes at club level, but you prefer her to an enterprising Eneless Phiri. What are you doing as a coach, technical bench or indeed technical committee?
Now imagine Eneless started and fought the way she did. It would have freed Barbra Banda and either of the two would have secure a goal even from a penalty.
Before the Nigeria match, I said Barbra will be heavily marked. And the coaches should have known this and how to respond to it.
But we went into the match the same way we did against Egypt.
You have Avell Chitundu, your top scorer in the league ‘eat’ the bench, and you also have Ochumba to help you with possession as she’s one of the few in the team that can hold the ball better but you keep them on the bench throughout the match. Why?
I am not a coach. My little understanding of football tells me there’s lack of thinking on the technical bench.
Or we have too many coaches confusing how the team should be deployed.
Mercy Chipasula and Saliya Mwanza deserve more game time. They are the future.
That loss has complicated our passage to the quarterfinals but we still have a good chance to pull through.
I hope people are thinking and watching Malawi.
In the two matches I have watched, Malawi don’t have a good goalkeeper – that’s one of their weaknesses. So exploit.
Don’t say I didn’t tell you.