Going into their first ever Women's Africa Cup of Nations, star forward Temwa Chawinga has warned the rest of the field that while they may be seen as underdogs, they have no intention of playing like it.
Malawi are drawn against defending champions Nigeria, alongside Zambia and Egypt in what many, including South Africa captain Refiloe Jane, have described as the tournament's toughest group.
Malawi's arrival in Morocco would naturally come with the lowered expectation that typically accompany a first-time participant. But Chawinga says that is not a brand they are willing to wear, and their minimum objective is FIFA Women's World Cup qualification.
"It's true we might be underdogs, but everyone knows we need to work hard to achieve everything," Chawinga told ESPN.
"If we could qualify for this tournament, we can go to the World Cup. We're not just going there to participate. We're going there to compete."
Those are fighting words from a team that has never played at this level before, but the defiance reflects of a growing belief in the Malawi team after the Scorchers secured their first WAFCON qualification, ending years out in the cold.
That qualification, according to Chawinga, is a seminal moment for the team, and one they are determined to make the most of: "It means a lot to me and to the whole country.
"This is our first time going to WAFCON, so we're really looking forward to it. Every player knows how much it means. We need to go there and do our best because everyone in the country knows this is a big opportunity for us, the players, the president, the fans, everybody."
If they expected the luck of the draw to be kind after their history-making efforts, they have been given a hard reality check, thrown straight into the deep end for their opening game against none other than Nigeria's formidable Super Falcons.
Any other team, faced with the daunting task of overcoming an adversary that are far and away the most dominant in the history of the competition, with a record 10 continental titles, would probably be quaking in their boots at the prospect.
Not Malawi, at least, not according to Chawinga, who sees opportunity rather than intimidation.
"To beat the defending champions would mean a lot to us," she said. "It's our first game, so it would boost our morale and give us confidence and motivation to do even better.
"Because if you start well by winning your first game, a game against a team like Nigeria, the team starts believing, 'Okay, we can do this.'"
To accomplish this tall ambition, the Kansas City Current forward is banking on her team playing a little game of misdirection with Nigeria. Much of the pre-match attention has centered on the free-scoring Chawinga and her equally prolific older sister Tabitha, who is Malawi women's all-time leading goalscorer.
The younger Chawinga believes that Nigeria focusing on both siblings could work in her team's favour: "They know me and Tabitha.
"But they don't know our other players or the way we play. If they focus on us, we have other players who can do the job."
That belief extends beyond the dressing room. Malawi Football Association president Fleetwood Haiya has publicly challenged the team to target the title despite its debut appearance, and rather than dismiss it as a bar a few steps too high, Chawinga is embracing the challenge.
"It's not too much to ask," she said. "If the federation president believes that, then why should we, as players, doubt ourselves?
"It means he believes in us, and we have to show that confidence because the whole country believes in us. If we doubt ourselves, we can't achieve it.
"As players, we know what we want to achieve. We're going there to do our best, to win games and to work hard."
There is also additional motivation, of course. That is to have more Malawi players follow the example of the sisters and go abroad. Only four players in the current squad play outside of Africa, and Chawinga believes WAFCON, especially a huge upset win over Nigeria, could be the big door-opener.
She concluded: "It's an opportunity for young girls from Malawi to show their skills, so they can go to another country, like European countries, to play there.
"We have a lot of players, good players, who are playing locally back home, so this tournament will show that we can do it, and also can find teams in other countries abroad."