Malawi defeated Algeria 3-1 in the semi-final of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) held in Rabat on August 13, securing their debut appearance in the tournament final [1, 2, 3]. The Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, scored all three goals for Malawi. Tabitha netted two, while Temwa scored once [1, 2, 3]. Algeria's lone goal came from Ikram Adjabi [1, 2, 3].
Malawi’s road to the final included victories over powerhouse teams Nigeria and Ghana earlier in the tournament [1, 2, 3]. The semi-final match featured two red cards shown to Algeria players after VAR reviews, weakening their side [1].
Tabitha Chawinga plays for the French club OL Lyon, and Temwa Chawinga is with Kansas City Current in the United States. Between them, they have scored 9 of Malawi's 12 tournament goals, with Temwa currently tied for the golden boot lead at 5 goals [1, 4]. Tabitha said, "Growing up, I never saw myself as different from boys. Whatever they did I believed I could" [4].
In the other semi-final on the same day, Cameroon advanced to the final after defeating Morocco 3-1 on penalties following a goalless draw in extra time [2, 3]. The 2026 Wafcon also serves as qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil [1, 2, 3].
The final between Malawi and Cameroon is scheduled for Sunday, August 16 at 19:00 GMT in Rabat [1, 4].
