Mercy Sikelo
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| National team | Malawi National Women's Football Team, The Scorchers |
| Born | 22 December 1997 |
| Sport | |
| Country | Malawi |
| Sport | Football |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Club | Kukoma Ntopwa Women's FC, Civil Service United WFC (CIVO Ladies) |
Mercy Sikelo (born 22 December 1997) is a Malawian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Malawian Women's National Football Team, the Scorchers.[1]
Club career
[edit]Sikelo was nominated for the COSAFA player of the tournament in 2024.[1][2] Sikelo plays for Civil Service United WFC (CIVO Ladies) at Club level and previously played for Kukoma Ntopwa Women's FC.[2]
International career
[edit]The national coach, Lovemore Fazili, chose her for the national women's team in March 2026 for the Four Nations FIFA Series matches in Kenya. She was one of four players from the Kukoma Ntopwa Women team to be called up. The others were defenders Olivia Phikani and Rose Alufandika and midfielder Funny Magombo.[3]
Sikelo played in Rabat, Morocco, with the Scorchers during their debut appearance at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).[4]
During the match, the Copper Queens captain, Barbara Banda, shot on goal, and Sikelo touched but did not clear the ball, resulting in the Zambian National Women's Football Team (the Copper Queens) scoring in the first two minutes of the match.[5] The Scorchers went on to lose the match to Zambia by two goals to one, and Sikelo was targeted with abusive language and body-shaming online.[6]
In the match against Ghana, Sikelo's goalkeeping helped the Scorchers secure a spot in the WAFCON semifinals.[7] Malawi also secured a place in the FIFA Women's World Cup; this will be the country's first appearance.[8][9] Malawi joined Algeria, Morocco and Cameroon in qualifying for the 2027 games set to be played in Brazil.[10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Nzangaya, Archangel (2024-04-07). "Scorchers goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo nominated for Cosafa Award". Malawi24. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- 1 2 Kambuwe, Mabvuto (2024-04-06). "Scorchers goalkeepers nominated for award". The Times Group. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "Scorchers Regroup Ahead Of Four Nations FIFA Series Tournament". AfricaBrief. 2026-03-31. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
- ↑ "Rose_Kadzere". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ Times, Nyasa (2026-08-06). "Malawi book WAFCON quarter-final spot despite defeat to Zambia in Group C thriller - Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times". Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ Times, Nyasa (2026-08-06). "Fury as Scorchers goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo targeted by body-shaming trolls after Zambia defeat - Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times". Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ Nzangaya, Archangel (2026-08-10). "Ghana down, World Cup booked: Scorchers make history". Malawi24. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "History made! Malawi's Scorchers stun Ghana to book place at World Cup for the very first time – as nation erupts in wild celebration". 2026-08-09. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "Cameroon and Malawi punch tickets to Brazil 2027". www.fifa.com. 2026-08-10. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "Women's World Cup 2027: Algeria, Cameroon, Malawi & Morocco qualify". BBC Sport. 2026-08-09. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
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