How South African trainer Sudesh Singh helped Malawi rewrite their WAFCON history

South African coach Sudesh Singh may have worked behind the scenes as Malawi’s technical advisor, but his influence was impossible to miss as the Scorchers produced one of the biggest stories of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Malawi returned home as African runners-up after a stunning debut campaign that saw them reach the final before losing 3-0 to Cameroon in Rabat on Sunday. More significantly, their run earned them a historic place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after reaching the semi-finals.

For Singh, who joined the technical team shortly before the tournament, the breakthrough was built on preparation, discipline and a deliberate attempt to create a high-performance culture within the team.

Building a winning culture

Singh’s appointment was part of the Football Association of Malawi’s efforts to reinforce the technical team ahead of the country’s first appearance at the continental tournament.

Rather than focusing solely on tactics, the South African was tasked with developing the structures and standards he believed were necessary to maximise the team’s potential.

“My position here was as Technical Advisor; to architect a High Performance environment and a culture of professionalism and excellence. I spent about 8-10 days in camp in Malawi before we came to Morocco. Designing and effectively implementing such a structure and framework for everyone to work under usually takes a long time, but despite the obvious challenges of resistance and pushbacks, we still kept on track for the objective of qualifying for the World Cup.”

That objective was achieved as Malawi defied expectations throughout the tournament.

The Scorchers stunned defending champions Nigeria in the group stage before advancing to the knockout rounds. Their progress continued into the semi-finals, where they secured a World Cup berth and announced themselves as a force in African women’s football.

Singh believes establishing a collective mentality was crucial to the historic achievement.

“Getting everyone aligned to the performance objectives was key. Instilling confidence, professionalism, changing mindsets was challenging, but we were focused on the objective.”

Science behind Malawi’s success

A major part of Singh’s contribution was the introduction of his Maximal Training methodology, which was applied both on and off the pitch.

“Using our Maximal Training (MT) methodology/philosophy, both for on-the-field and off-the-field preparations, was a key factor.”

For Singh, the approach was never simply about designing football sessions. He wanted the players and staff to understand that elite performance depended on everything surrounding the actual game.

“As MT isn’t just a ‘training’ methodology but a holistic approach for High Performance and Elite football, as everything in football is interlinked! You can’t achieve success on the field of play if it’s not matched by excellence and professionalism off the field and behind the scenes!”

That philosophy meant paying close attention to the players’ daily routines, including sleep, nutrition, training and recovery.

“A big part of this planning was around attention to detail; circadian rhythm (body clock), what time we sleep, what time we eat, train, etc., etc.”

“Everything was planned for optimum efficiency, effort recovery, loading, planning training sessions volume/intensity/complexity, and such.”

Chawinga sisters central to game plan

Singh also helped shape a tactical model that sought to exploit Malawi’s attacking strengths while addressing weaknesses in their defensive organisation.

“We designed a game model based on the strengths of the players, especially the attacking players; whilst trying to work on improving the defensive structure/organisation!”

The presence of sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga provided Malawi with two of the tournament’s most important attacking weapons, while the team also benefited from young players based in Europe.

“The players were wonderful in training, although most of the local-based hadn’t been playing as their league hasn’t started.”

“Having two world-class players in the Chawinga sisters was a key part of our game model, plus two young skilful midfielder/attackers who play in France and Sweden.”

The Scorchers ultimately fell short against Cameroon in the final, but their second-place finish represented a remarkable breakthrough for a nation making its WAFCON debut.

A blueprint for African football

Singh believes Malawi’s success should also serve as evidence of what can be achieved when African teams combine local knowledge with modern approaches to high-performance football.

“African football needs higher quality level of coach education that’s modern, scientific and bespoke to one’s environment/country/region. It’s very important to have an understanding, insights into local cultures, environments, so as to maximise the impact and talents!”

He also credited the Football Association of Malawi and the wider technical and administrative team for creating the conditions that allowed the project to succeed.

“Overall, it’s been a highly successful and enjoyable experience, despite the numerous challenges encountered.”

“But credit to everyone involved in this project, especially the FAM (Football Association of Malawi) President, Fleetwood Haiya, the HOD, Felister Dossi, and FAM support staff.”

For Singh, the Scorchers’ remarkable journey is ultimately proof that African football can produce historic results when planning, professionalism and unity are brought together.

“This project proves that in African football, if there’s a unified approach, with proper planning, then success will be an inevitable outcome.”

Although Malawi did not lift the WAFCON trophy, Singh’s contribution formed part of a technical project that transformed the Scorchers from tournament debutants into African finalists and World Cup qualifiers.