Malawi pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) history with a stunning 3-2 victory over 10-time champions Nigeria, as the Chawinga sisters starred on the tournament’s opening day.
After a goalless first half, Kansas City Current striker Temwa Chawinga broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute before her elder sister, Tabitha, doubled Malawi’s advantage six minutes later.
Nigeria pulled one back in the 91st minute through Rasheedat Ajibade, who converted from the penalty spot after a Malawi defender handled the ball inside the area.
The Super Falcons pushed for an equaliser, but Malawi restored their two-goal cushion in the 95th minute as Temwa grabbed her second goal of the match.
Uchenna Kanu scored for Nigeria in the 98th minute, but it proved to be only a consolation as Malawi held on for a famous victory.
Speaking after the match, Malawi head coach Lovemore Fazili dismissed suggestions that his side’s memorable victory over the record champions was a fluke, insisting his players fully deserved the result.
“We deserve it; it was not a fluke. My players played according to plan. We need to celebrate the victory,” he said.
“This does not mean we have won the WAFCON; we have a lot more work to be done in our group, as we have Zambia and Egypt ahead of us.”
Malawi will next face Egypt on Saturday before taking on Zambia next Wednesday in their final Group C fixture.
The 2026 WAFCON also serves as a qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the top four teams earning places at the global showpiece.
Nigeria coach concedes defeat
Meanwhile, Nigerian head coach Justin Madugu conceded defeat and admitted Malawi were the better side on the day.
“I want to appreciate the girls for the effort they put in as far as the game is concerned. They gave it their all; they gave it their best. We made mistakes, and we got punished for those mistakes we made,” Madugu said.
He also dismissed claims that Nigeria had underestimated Malawi.
“We never took them for granted because we have been following their progress; its a testament to the development of the game across the continent. You don’t take anybody for granted,” he said.
“We saw the result in one of the games yesterday, and today we are seeing another. The Malawian side is a good side; we are all aware of that. They have very good players; we know how their preparation has been; they had prepared very well. The advantage of having to play a lot of games in the COSAFA region helps to develop teams from within that region. So it’s not that we took them for granted or that we underrated them; they are a good side. Every team that qualifies for the WAFCON deserves to be respected.”
