Malawi’s fairytale run at the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has reached another remarkable milestone after the Scorchers defeated Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
The victory sends Malawi into the WAFCON semi-finals for the first time in their history and guarantees the tournament debutants a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Kadzere completes Malawi comeback
Malawi once again showed their fighting spirit as they overturned Ghana’s advantage before Rose Kadzere delivered the decisive blow in the second half.
The dramatic victory capped another memorable performance from the Scorchers, who have continued to defy expectations throughout their maiden WAFCON campaign.
Malawi had already made headlines during the group stage by stunning defending champions Nigeria before also defeating Egypt. They eventually finished top of Group C and carried their impressive form into the knockout rounds.
Their triumph over Ghana now represents the latest chapter in one of the most remarkable debut campaigns in WAFCON history.
Scorchers secure World Cup qualification
In addition to reaching the semi-finals, Malawi have secured one of Africa’s four automatic places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Their achievement is particularly significant given that this is their first appearance at the continental finals.
The Scorchers are now just two matches away from potentially completing an extraordinary journey by lifting the WAFCON trophy on their debut.
Ghana’s World Cup hopes remain alive
For Ghana, the defeat is a major blow to their hopes of returning to the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2007.
However, the Black Queens still have another route to the global tournament.
Ghana will enter the African play-off, where they will face Côte d’Ivoire. Victory in that encounter would send the Black Queens into the FIFA Women’s World Cup intercontinental play-offs, keeping their hopes of reaching Brazil 2027 alive.
For Malawi, however, the focus now shifts entirely to the WAFCON semi-finals, with the Scorchers continuing to dream of an unprecedented continental title.
