National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc says it is proud and ready to support the Malawi National Women Football team as they take on Zimbabwe this Friday in the Olympic qualifiers at Bingu National Stadium (BNS).
The match will be the Scorchers’ first since NBM plc increased its sponsorship of the team from K150 million to K1.3 billion.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, NBM plc Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager Akossa Mphepo-Hiwa said the Bank is confident in the team’s ability, building on their performance at Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) recently.
“The Scorchers have had a very good run. We saw them at WAFCON, where they entered as debutants but finished as runners-up. As proud sponsors, we have a lot of faith in the Scorchers and are delighted of what they are doing by putting the Malawian flag on the map,” said Mphepo- Hiwa.
Mphepo-Hiwa has also urged the players to believe in themselves as they carry the hopes of Malawians, whose expectations are high ahead of the crucial qualifier.
She also called on Malawians to turn up in large numbers and support the team.
“As sponsors of the Scorchers, we have already started engaging customers, supporters and fans through various initiatives, including a trivia campaign aimed at building excitement ahead of the game. We hope these activities will create awareness, build hype and help us get a good turnout at the stadium on Friday,” she said.
One of the country’s sports journalists, Praise Majawa concurred with Mphepo-Hiwa saying the Scorchers stand a better chance of carrying the day.
The return leg will take place on October 13 in Harare.
The Olympic games are scheduled for Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) of which four teams from Africa are expected to participate.
