Debutant Malawi Make History, Reach WAFCON Final, Eliminates Algeria
Malawi have reached the final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after a stunning 3-1 victory over Algeria in Rabat on Wednesday night.
The Scorchers, competing at the WAFCON for the first time, continued their remarkable run in Morocco by overcoming Algeria to become the first debutants, excluding the inaugural 1998 edition, to reach the tournament final.
The Chawinga sisters once again inspired Malawi, with Tabitha Chawinga scoring twice while her younger sister Temwa Chawinga also found the net.
Tabitha opened the scoring in spectacular fashion in the 33rd minute, producing an acrobatic overhead kick that struck the crossbar before spinning over the goal line.
Temwa doubled Malawi’s advantage in first-half stoppage time after rounding Algeria goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi and calmly finishing into an empty net.
The match became increasingly dramatic after both sides were reduced to 10 players following VAR interventions.
Algeria defender Morgane Belkhiter was sent off for denying Tabitha Chawinga a clear goalscoring opportunity, while Malawi midfielder Rose Kadzere later received a red card for a dangerous challenge on Marine Dafeur.
Algeria pulled one goal back through Ikram Adjabi shortly after the hour mark, raising hopes of a comeback.
However, Tabitha Chawinga settled the contest when she drove into the penalty area and finished from close range to complete her brace.
The victory caps a remarkable tournament for Malawi, who entered the competition ranked 153rd in the world and have already secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Chawinga sisters have been central to the Scorchers’ fairytale campaign, accounting for eight of Malawi’s 12 goals at the tournament, with Temwa scoring five and Tabitha three.
Malawi will face either hosts Morocco or Cameroon in Sunday’s final, with the Scorchers now just one victory away from becoming only the fourth nation to lift the WAFCON trophy.
For a team making its debut on Africa’s biggest women’s football stage, Malawi’s historic journey has already become one of the tournament’s biggest stories.
