PHOTOS: Chawinga sisters send Malawi into historic WAFCON final

Malawi produced one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as the Scorchers defeated Algeria 3-1 to reach the final on their debut, with sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga again at the heart of an extraordinary campaign.

Tabitha scored twice, while Temwa added another as Malawi continued their remarkable rise in Morocco.

The result means the Scorchers will contest Sunday’s final in Rabat against either hosts Morocco or Cameroon.

For a nation making its first appearance at the continental finals, Malawi have already secured a place in African women’s football history.

The Scorchers had also qualified for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time, underlining the scale of their transformation.

Malawi’s breakthrough has been driven by the Chawinga sisters, whose experience in Europe and the United States has provided the cutting edge.

Tabitha, who plays for Lyon, opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with an acrobatic finish from a corner, while Temwa, the Kansas City Current forward, doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time.

Algeria’s task became even harder after Morgane Belkhiter was sent off following a VAR review for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Malawi were also reduced to 10 players before half-time when Rose Kadzere received a red card following another VAR intervention.

The Fennecs responded after the break, with Ikram Adjabi reducing the deficit after capitalising on defensive uncertainty.

But Malawi remained dangerous in transition, and Tabitha delivered the decisive blow 14 minutes from time, calmly finishing after being released by Benedetta Mkandawire.

The defeat ended Algeria’s historic run. The North Africans had reached the tournament for the sixth time in 2026, having previously appeared in 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

Before this tournament, however, they had never progressed beyond the group stage.

Malawi’s achievement must be viewed against the broader history of the competition.

The WAFCON was established in its modern tournament format in 1998, with Nigeria quickly becoming the dominant force.

The Super Falcons have won a record 10 titles, including the 2024 edition, while Equatorial Guinea have won twice and South Africa once.

Nigeria’s dominance makes Malawi’s journey even more remarkable.

Ranked 153rd in the world before the tournament, the Scorchers defeated established opposition and overcame the defending champions Nigeria during the group stage before continuing their run into the final.

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