From Commonwealth Games to leading Malawi’s WAFCON attack: The wild summer of Simwaka

[p]Here’s the story of an extraordinary summer for the sprinter and the striker of a Malawi side dreaming of a World Cup.[/p][p]Arriving at the hotel where the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malawi/A3EAueis/"]Malawi[/a] team was staying during this WAFCON in Morocco, looking tired, dressed in white tracksuit bottoms and carrying just a small suitcase, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simwaka-asimenye/dEzRwMDI/"]Asimenye Simwaka[/a][b], [/b]29, had already missed two group stage matches with the Scorchers.[/p][p]And for good reason: Malawi’s number seven is not just a footballer. She’s also a sprinter, and had good reason to miss the wins over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/hr3TNNl9/"]Nigeria[/a] and Egypt.[/p][embed guid="dfff48bd-8a6c-4a6b-b9a0-0f4c3c1b3825" url="https://x.com/442_Malawi/status/2083953103439548542?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Up until August 2nd, Simwaka was representing her country in the 200m and 400m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. In the shorter distance, she reached the semi-finals with a personal best of 23.60 seconds after finishing fourth in her heat.[/p][p]In the 400m, her journey was more eventful: she qualified for the semi-finals with 54.16 seconds, her best time of the season, made it to the final, but was disqualified for stepping out of her lane.[/p][p]A proven sprinter, she had already competed at the Tokyo and Paris 2024 Olympics, and holds Malawi’s national records in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. But she barely had time to enjoy her Scottish campaign before having to switch her focus straight to football.[/p][image alt="Asimenye Simwaka competes in the women’s 100m heats during the athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris, France, on August 2, 2024." id="e5c4ad15-6fc1-49cc-b6a4-ef7947c0929e" credit-line="Credit: Lui Siu Wai / Xinhua News / Profimedia" guid="052fc571-a189-4c32-9e87-f44eede62e3d" original-width="1400" original-height="962" /][p]It was right after this campaign, without even a moment to catch her breath, that she joined the Scorchers’ camp in Rabat, just days before her team’s final group match against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zambia/rmKdcHAi/"]Zambia[/a]. The timing was extremely tight: the athlete-footballer found herself on the pitch as early as the 24th minute of this decisive match, coming on to replace starting striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thom-sabina/ryqASJmo/"]Sabina Thom[/a], who was stretchered off after a heavy collision.[/p][p]That day at Al Madina Stadium, the game swung in Zambia’s favour on the scoreboard: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/banda-barbra/SriyfOdh/"]Barbra Banda[/a] scored in the very first minute, then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chilufya-prisca/jw9wxziS/"]Prisca Chilufya[/a] doubled the lead.[/p][p]Tabitha Chawinga pulled one back in the second half, but Malawi lost 2-1. However, the defeat didn’t stop the Scorchers from booking their place in the quarter-finals, as they finished top of Group C thanks to goals scored in head-to-head matches, ahead of Nigeria and Zambia, despite Zambia’s win that night.[/p][p]It was a cruel exit for the Copper Queens, but a historic achievement for Malawi in their debut tournament. The Scorchers will now face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/6o7XMs4F/"]Ghana[/a] in the quarter-finals, with Simwaka leading the attack after the injury to the usual starter.[/p][h2]A Dilemma Between Two Summers[/h2][p]Even before setting foot on Moroccan soil, Simwaka had to make a rare choice: the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and WAFCON in Morocco (July 26th-August 16th) almost completely overlapped on the calendar.[/p][p]On one side, Athletics Malawi wanted her to run as part of their Olympic Solidarity scholarship programme, with an eye on the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. On the other, she was on the Scorchers’ provisional squad list for WAFCON.[/p][p]The tug-of-war was resolved amicably, with the Malawi Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) securing her commitment to compete in Scotland first.[/p][p][b]"As far as we’re concerned, Asimenye will take part in the Commonwealth Games before any other event. Please note that Asimenye is in Portugal, preparing for major competitions. We’re not blocking her, but the priority is the Commonwealth Games. We appreciate that she’s a multi-talented athlete, which is why she’ll be released for another event once her mission in Scotland is complete,"[/b] [b]explained CGA Secretary General Henry Sakala.[/b][/p][embed guid="44e1e3e1-5707-4b0a-a467-a0221bac1c9f" url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbAt-rzC3gf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" social-type="instagram" /][p]On the football side, Malawi FA General Manager Abdul Chiwalo[b] [/b]confirmed that Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili had personally requested her inclusion.[/p][p][b]"The coach included her because of her qualities. So we expect her to honour the call-up. That said, I need to talk to Fazili to find out when she’ll be available for the Scorchers,"[/b] [b]he said.[/b][/p][p]The result of this compromise: Simwaka missed Malawi’s first two matches in the tournament - two impressive wins over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/KbvGP3KC/"]Nigeria[/a] (3-2) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/vLNvoHTJ/"]Egypt[/a] (3-1) - before flying straight from Scotland for the clash with Zambia. It was a literal race against time before she could make her debut.[/p][h2]Malawian sporting legend[/h2][p]The journey of the woman now representing Malawi in two different sports is almost a matter of chance. Just a few years ago, the name Asimenye Simwaka was only associated with football, a sport in which she shone both at club and national level. Athletics wasn’t even on her radar.[/p][p]Everything changed on February 16th, 2020. The fourth of seven siblings, then living in Mzuzu in the country’s northern region, she heard on the radio that a national cross-country championship was being held just a few kilometres from her home, at Mzuzu Golf Club.[/p][p]Out of curiosity, she decided to go and watch. She ended up signing up - and winning.[/p][p][b]"How could I forget that day? I remember everything clearly. I left home to go to Mzuzu Golf Club, where the cross-country was taking place. When I arrived, I saw athletes registering for the race. At first, I thought it was only for selected people. I went closer, gathered my courage, and decided to sign up. For a first-timer, you’d think I’d go for the junior category, but somehow I found myself entered in the senior women’s 10,000 meters,"[/b] [b]she would later recall.[/b][/p][p]Neither the presence of experienced runners like Mary Kamwendo and[b] [/b]Caroline Mhango, nor her improvised gear - a simple pair of shorts and a tank top - put her off. The race started, and Simwaka blended into the pack before gradually pulling away, leaving her rivals behind as if she’d been running all her life.[/p][p]She won in 42 minutes 48 seconds, ahead of 19 other competitors, and immediately took part in the victorious 10,000m relay.[/p][p][b]"It was like living a dream. I couldn’t believe I’d won gold against such an experienced field. Not only was it my very first athletics experience, but I’d never even been coached,"[/b] [b]she said. [/b][/p][p]That day earned her a 37-euro prize, topped up by donations from impressed spectators, including a traffic policeman who spontaneously offered to sponsor her. In total, she left with about 80 euros. [/p][p][b]"That day, before winning the prizes, I literally had nothing on me and desperately needed money. Luckily, I got it,"[/b] [b]she remembers.[/b][/p][p][b]"Things weren’t going well at home when I left, so I gave some of the money to my parents to buy food, and kept the rest for myself."[/b][/p][image alt="Asimenye Simwaka and Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica react after the women’s 200m athletics semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, August 5, 2022." id="723d683d-6b46-47e8-8c7d-a5fa03c68d80" credit-line="Credit: Ben Stansall / AFP / AFP / Profimedia" guid="6df2c55f-3751-415c-ad4f-01ac77c985b9" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p]Spotted after this breakthrough, she was called up to the national athletics team, then preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. It was within this group that the coaching staff decided to switch her from distance running to sprinting.[/p][p]Her progress was rapid: 24.19s in the 200m and 57.46s in the 400m as early as March 2021 in Lusaka, then a national 200m record set in June in Yaounde (23.51s), followed by a 52.57s 400m that left her just hundredths of a second short of direct Olympic qualification. [/p][p][b]"I was just a few milliseconds away. I challenge you: with proper training, resources, and better facilities, I can become the very first Malawian athlete to qualify directly for the Games,"[/b] [b]she said at the time.[/b][/p][p]Without direct qualification, she still went to Tokyo thanks to Olympic Solidarity. There, she broke the national 100m record held by Susan Tengatenga for 12 years, running 11.76s in the preliminary round before lowering it to 11.68s in the heats.[/p][p][b]She said she learned a lot technically from the experience: "I learned that winning a race is also about the start. Before, I’d just start any old way, but I realised acceleration comes from the speed of your footwork."[/b][/p][h2]Double life[/h2][p]Returning from Tokyo didn’t mean saying goodbye to football. Simwaka, who is also a soldier in the Malawi Defence Force, immediately threw herself back into her other passion with her club in Mzuzu, the Topic Sisters, and the national team.[/p][p]She was part of the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship adventure in South Africa, playing a key role in Malawi’s run to the final, including the 3-2 semi-final win over hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/23FeDl3D/"]South Africa[/a].[/p][p]Malawi eventually lost 1-0 to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tanzania/p2wIs1Ae/"]Tanzania[/a] in the final, but the team were given a hero’s welcome by President Lazarus Chakwera on their return to Lilongwe.[/p][embed guid="30d9055b-0fec-41ce-8c51-65859372cf46" url="https://x.com/COSAFAMEDIA/status/1850202107640500338?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Asked about the challenge of juggling two sports, Simwaka refuses to choose: "I can’t say which is easier, but in football you have to be careful to avoid injuries because of the physical contact, whereas in athletics you only have to focus on yourself."[/b][/p][p]This versatility is something her coach Lovemore Fazili fully appreciates. When announcing her return to the squad to face Zambia, fresh from the UK where she’d been running the 400m and 200m, he expressed his satisfaction.[/p][p][b]"Asimenye is a player we also count on. It’s good that she’s here. I hope she’ll do a great job when we call on her."[/b][/p][p]Called up at the last minute, coming on after an opponent’s injury, Simwaka ultimately played her part in the Scorchers’ run to the quarter-finals in their very first WAFCON.[/p][p]Most likely starting as the number nine leading the attack alongside the Chawinga sisters against Ghana, she’ll have the huge responsibility of scoring to send Malawi into the semi-finals - and above all, to the World Cup, as the top four teams at the Africa Cup of Nations automatically qualify for the 2027 tournament in Brazil.[/p][infobox id="89d8dac9-56aa-4b5e-897b-9c5da03c43e1" /]