Malawi were not supposed to go this far. In their first appearance at the Women's AFCON, the Scorchers were expected to simply discover the very highest level of African football. They will instead play in the final.
On Wednesday in Rabat, Malawi beat Algeria 3-1 and qualified for the first Women's AFCON final in their history. A result that is already historic — but what is most impressive is the way this team has built its run.
The Chawinga sisters struck again
The Chawinga sisters once again carried Malawi. Tabitha scored two goals, in the 33rd and 76th minutes, while her sister Temwa struck just before the break, in the 45+1st. All three of Malawi's goals therefore bear their signatures alone.
Tabitha's first goal captures the evening rather well: the captain found the back of the net with an acrobatic effort, the ball hitting the bar before ending up inside. Temwa then doubled the lead just before half-time to give the Scorchers a two-goal advantage.
Ikram Adjabi pulled one back for Algeria in the 60th minute, but Tabitha Chawinga definitively extinguished all remaining hope fourteen minutes later. Malawi did not merely hold on — they struck when it mattered.
A team that refuses its role as debutant
The context makes this qualification even more telling. Malawi are the newcomers of this AFCON, yet they had already eliminated Ghana in the quarter-finals after progressing through the group stage without difficulty. The Scorchers are now one game away from the continental title.
Algeria represented a significant obstacle, but their match turned as early as the 23rd minute with the sending-off of Morgane Belkhiter, reducing the Fennecs to ten. Malawi were able to exploit the numerical advantage — without that being enough to sum up their performance. Even at eleven against ten, they still had to win a semi-final and manage the pressure of a team that had never before experienced this stage of the competition. Malawi did it.
African women's football is changing its face
This qualification says something that goes well beyond Malawi's borders. Nigeria, record title-holders and reigning champions, were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Cameroon. Ghana were knocked out by Malawi. South Africa are no longer in the running, and Morocco, the host nation, were eliminated by Cameroon in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, one of the least expected teams in the tournament is in the final. This may be the true lesson of this AFCON: the gaps are closing. African women's football still has its historic powerhouses, but they can no longer rely solely on their reputation. Malawi have just demonstrated that in the space of a few days.
Tabitha and Temwa, two paths that meet
The story of the Chawinga sisters gives this adventure even greater depth. Tabitha, the captain, plays for Lyon; Temwa plays for Kansas City Current. The two sisters built their careers at the highest level abroad before returning to represent Malawi. Their international experience is now at the service of a squad that was discovering the AFCON just a few weeks ago.
And this time, they are no longer simply the stars of their team. They have led it to the final.
Malawi will face Cameroon on Sunday for the title. On one side, a team seeking a new continental triumph. On the other, a team that had never previously competed in the tournament. African football loves unlikely stories — and Malawi's is now far too serious to be dismissed as a mere surprise.
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