Ireen Sibande
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| National team | Malawi National Women's Football Team, The Scorchers |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Football |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
Ireen Sibande or Irene Sibande is a Malawian goalkeeper for the Silver Strikers Ladies. Sibande was the leading goalkeeper in Malawi in 2025 and her team won the national league. As a consequence she went to Botswana to compete in the CAF Women's Champions League in 2026. She has played for the U20 and the National team.
Club career
[edit]Sibande started out at Ascent Academy[1] and she moved to the Silver Strikers Ladies in 2022.[citation needed]
She became the first choice goalkeeper for the Silver Strikers Ladies. She was goalkeeper of the tournament in 2025.[2] when the Strikers had won the NBM Women's Premiership.[3] As champions they qualified to complete at the CAF Women's Champions League in Gaborone, Botswana at the end of August 2026.[4] Sibande was included in the final match's squad despite conceding seven goals in four matches.[5] They finished fourth.[4]
International career
[edit]In April 2026 she was the first choice goalkeeper chosen by Maggie Chombo for the U20 National team to play Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers.[6] She was chosen together with fellow Silver Strikers Linda Manda and Grace Mkakangula.[7] Sibande would feature in six matches in the campaign.[2]
The national women's coach, Lovemore Fazili, chose Sibande for the national women's team.[2] In June 2025 she was the first choice goalkeeper Fazili chose in a friendly match against Ghana.[1]
Malawi's women's team competed at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations tournament (WAFCON) in Morocco where they secured a place in the FIFA Women's World Cup.[8] However Sibande was not included in that squad.[9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "5️⃣ of our girls (Faith, Maureen, Rose, Leticia, and Irene..." Ascent Soccer.
- 1 2 3 "Malawi 🇲🇼 U20 and Silver Strikers Ladies Goalkeeper Ready to Make Her Mark at COSAFA". Bola Mpira via Facebook. 18 August 2026.
- ↑ "Three NBM Women's Premiership teams dominate 2025 Best XI". Maravi Express. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- 1 2 "Silver Ladies break down in second half to lose 0-4 to Gaborone United Ladies". Maravi Express. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
- ↑ Kambuwe, Mabvuto (2026-08-29). "Silver Ladies eye Cosafa bronze". The Times Group. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- ↑ "Chombo Names Final Squad for World Cup Qualifier Decider". Football Association of Malawi. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- ↑ Orocotti, Franck (2026-04-13). "Chombo Names Malawi U-20 Squad for Nigeria World Cup Qualifier". Africa Top Sports - #1 African Sports News. Retrieved 2026-09-06.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Fazili Names COSAFA Final Squad – Football Association of Malawi". Retrieved 2026-09-06.