The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) has produced one of the most remarkable underdog stories in recent women’s football history, as tournament debutants Malawi, ranked 153rd in the world and the lowest-ranked side at the Moroccan-hosted event, booked their spot in the competition’s final with a dramatic 3-1 semi-final win over Algeria in Rabat. Spearheaded by the in-form Chawinga sisters, who combined for three of the Scorchers’ three goals on the day, Malawi has added Algeria to an already impressive list of fallen heavyweights, having knocked out regional powerhouses Nigeria and Ghana in earlier rounds of the expanded 16-team tournament.
The match was anything but a calm, one-sided affair, despite the final scoreline. A frantic, end-to-end 90 minutes was defined by two first-half red cards, both issued after extended Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviews, and a string of clear goal-scoring chances squandered by both sides. Algeria defender Morgane Belkhiter was the first player sent off, after being judged to have denied Malawi captain Tabitha Chawinga a clear goal-scoring opportunity midway through the first half. While the call was considered harsh by many observers, with a fellow Algerian defender getting a touch on the ball during the overlapping challenge, replays confirmed Belkhiter had caught Chawinga on the back of the heel.
Undeterred by the chaotic buildup of play, the OL Lyonnes striker broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute with what will go down as one of the most iconic goals in Wafcon history. With her back to goal inside the 18-yard box, Tabitha Chawinga twisted to meet a headed clearance from Asimenye Simwaka – a dual-sport athlete who competed in 200m and 400m semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow just two weeks prior – and executed an acrobatic left-footed overhead kick. The effort beat Algeria goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi but cannoned off the crossbar, with heavy backspin carrying the bouncing ball over the goal line before any player could react, putting the debutants 1-0 up.
Tabitha’s younger sister Temwa Chawinga, who plays for NWSL side Kansas City Current, doubled Malawi’s lead in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, rounding N’Gazi before slotting home to take advantage of the numerical disadvantage Algeria was now playing under. But the 10-player balance was restored before halftime, when Malawi midfielder Rose Kadzere was also sent off after a VAR check for a reckless studs-up challenge on Algeria’s Marine Dafeur inside the penalty area, opening the door for a North African comeback in the second half.
Even with both sides down to 10 players, the frantic pace continued into the second period, with both teams wasting clear chances to add to the scoreline early on. Algeria finally capitalized on the extra space in the 60th minute, when Ikram Adjabi volleyed home a misplayed deep free-kick to cut the deficit to 2-1, giving Les Fennecs fresh hope of a late turnaround. But as both sides began to tire amid the intense pace of the match, Tabitha Chawinga put the result beyond doubt, driving unchallenged into the penalty area before slotting home her second of the game from just outside the six-yard box to seal the 3-1 win.
Malawi’s run to the Wafcon final is already historic: excluding the inaugural 1998 edition, the Scorchers are the first debutant side to ever reach the tournament’s final match. They have already secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil courtesy of their semi-final spot, and now stand one win away from lifting the trophy as the tournament’s unlikeliest champions. Their historic success is already shifting perceptions of women’s football on the continent, proving that the sport’s growth extends far beyond the traditional African powerhouses.
Much of Malawi’s stunning run has been fueled by the Chawinga sisters, who have lived up to massive pre-tournament hype. Tabitha helped OL Lyonnes claim another French top-flight title last season, while Temwa earned her second NWSL golden boot and MVP award with Kansas City Current. Between them, the pair have scored eight of Malawi’s 12 total goals at the tournament – five for Temwa and three for Tabitha – combining blistering pace, raw power and elite positional awareness that opposition defenses have been completely unable to handle. Now, the Scorchers will face the winner of the second semi-final between hosts Morocco and Cameroon in Sunday’s final (19:00 GMT), and with the Chawinga sisters in red-hot form, few would count the unfancied debutants out against any opponent.