The Malawi Under-15 National Football Team will open their FIFA Under-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 campaign against Chinese Taipei on Saturday at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Junior Flames will make their tournament debut in the Group B encounter, scheduled to kick off at 07:00 Malawi time (09:00 in Baku).

Head coach Joseph Malizani is encouraged by the condition and mood of his squad following their arrival in the Azerbaijani capital on Thursday. Malawi held a light training session on Friday morning, focusing on recovery after the lengthy journey.

“After travelling for long hours, the session this morning was all about loosening the muscles. The squad looks good, and everyone is positive about tomorrow’s game,” said Malizani.

With limited information about Chinese Taipei, the coach said his side would approach the encounter without making assumptions about their opponents.

“There is not much we know about them. We will see tomorrow what type of football they play. For us, it is a matter of treating them as a new team, just as we are a new team to them,” he explained.

Malizani is also eager to see his charges mark the occasion with a victory, highlighting what a winning start would mean for Malawi.

“It would be very good for us to start the competition with a positive result and for the nation of Malawi to see us winning our first match at the World Cup,” he said.

Following Saturday’s opener, Malawi will face Oman and Suriname on Sunday before completing their Group B fixtures against Algeria and Argentina on Monday.