Malawi Sports Council chair tears into women’s federation president Adelaide Migogo over WAFCON exit

Malawi’s Women’s Football Association president Adelaide Migogo has come under intense criticism after leaving Morocco midway through the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with the Scorchers advancing to the quarter-finals without their top football administrator.

Migogo’s departure has triggered a growing backlash from senior sports officials, legal experts and supporters, who have questioned the timing of her decision and demanded that she return to Morocco to support the team.

The strongest criticism has come from Sports Council chair Dr Sunduzwayo Madise, who described the situation as an unnecessary distraction as Malawi celebrated a historic run at the tournament.

Madise said Migogo’s presence with the squad should have been straightforward, particularly with the Scorchers progressing to the knockout stage.

“It’s not rocket science,” Madise said, while warning that the optics surrounding Migogo’s absence were “not looking good”.

His comments have intensified scrutiny of the decision to leave Morocco at a crucial point in the Scorchers’ campaign.

Lawyer calls it a ‘self-made PR crisis’

Lawyer Khumbo Soko also criticised Migogo’s decision, describing the controversy as a “self-made PR crisis”.

Soko argued that Migogo could have remained with the delegation even if she had to personally cover the cost, insisting that her position as head of women’s football made her presence important during the team’s historic campaign.

“The optics are just ridiculously bad,” he said, accusing Migogo of abandoning the squad at a time when her leadership was needed most.

The criticism has also spread among supporters, with fan Temwanani Mughogho publicly calling for Migogo to return to Morocco.

Mughogho questioned why members of the team’s support staff had remained with the squad while the president of women’s football had travelled home.

“It does not make sense at all,” he wrote. “Mwini team ya amayi ndiinuyo.”

World Cup qualification adds to pressure

A social-media defence of Migogo’s departure claimed that she had left under a prior agreement with Football Association of Malawi president Fleetwood Haiya.

That explanation, however, has done little to ease the criticism, particularly after the Scorchers secured World Cup qualification following the departure of members of the delegation.

The controversy now threatens to overshadow what is being celebrated as Malawi’s greatest achievement in women’s football.

With the Scorchers continuing their campaign in Morocco, critics are calling on the Minister of Gender and the Sports Council to intervene and address the dispute before the leadership row becomes an even bigger distraction for the team.