Malawi Beats Algeria 3-1 to Reach Historic First WAFCON Final in Rabat

Malawi secured a 3-1 victory over Algeria behind two goals from Tabitha Chawinga and a Temwa Chawinga strike to reach the WAFCON final.

Malawi defeated Algeria 3-1 at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) to secure a spot in Sunday's final in Rabat. Tabitha Chawinga opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a hooked overhead kick that crossed the line after hitting Chloe N'Gazi's crossbar. Her sister, Temwa Chawinga, doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time by rounding the goalkeeper following a through ball from Faith Chinzimu. Despite a 60th-minute strike from Algeria's Ikram Adjabi, Tabitha Chawinga sealed the win 14 minutes from time with her second goal of the match, assisted by Benadetta Mkandawire's diagonal pass.

Red Cards and VAR Interventions

Both sides finished the match with ten players following significant disciplinary actions. Algeria’s Morgane Belkhiter received a straight red card in the opening stages after a VAR review determined she denied a clear goalscoring opportunity by fouling Tabitha Chawinga on her left ankle. Malawi also saw a player sent off when youngster Rose Kadzere had an initial yellow card upgraded to a red just before the halftime whistle. The officials utilized VAR to judge Kadzere’s tackle on Marine Dafeur as reckless, leaving both squads to navigate the second half with reduced numbers.

Chawinga Sisters Dominate Scoring Charts

With her first-half goal, Temwa Chawinga reached five goals for the tournament, moving into a tie with Zambia’s Barbra Banda at the top of the Golden Boot race. Tabitha Chawinga’s brace brought her personal tally to four goals, meaning the sisters have combined for nine goals during this campaign. Their offensive efficiency broke an Algerian defense that had not conceded a single goal in four matches during the previous year's WAFCON and had only allowed two goals in four games leading up to this semifinal encounter.

Historic Milestone for the Scorchers

Ranked 153rd in the world before this tournament began, Malawi has become the first African nation since the South African men's team in 1996 to reach a Nations Cup final in a debut appearance. They are also the first women's side to achieve this feat since Banyana Banyana did so one year prior to the 1996 men's milestone. This victory follows the Scorchers' successful qualification for the FIFA Women's World Cup, marking a period of unprecedented success for the side coached by Lovemore Fazili.

Match Momentum and Final Push

Algeria’s lone goal came when Ikram Adjabi capitalized on a defensive lapse to latch onto a Marine Dafeur freekick, firing past Mercy Sikelo from close range. Before Tabitha Chawinga’s final goal, Temwa Chawinga missed an opportunity to extend the lead when she skewed a right-footed shot wide after sprinting past the Algerian backline. Following the 3-1 result, Malawi now awaits the winner of the semifinal between Morocco and Cameroon to determine their opponent for the championship match on Sunday. Algeria’s exit follows a quarterfinal where they defeated Ivory Coast despite dealing with multiple injuries.