Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga combined for all three goals as the Scorchers defeated Algeria 3-1 to reach their first-ever WAFCON final.
Malawi have written another remarkable chapter in their women’s football history after reaching the final of the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a 3-1 victory over Algeria on Wednesday.
Making their debut at the continental tournament, the Scorchers continued their sensational campaign as sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga once again proved to be the difference-makers, contributing all three of Malawi’s goals.
Algeria Reduced to 10 Players
Algeria’s task became significantly more difficult early in the contest when Morgane Belkhiter received a red card, leaving the North Africans with a numerical disadvantage.
Malawi eventually capitalised in the 33rd minute when captain Tabitha Chawinga produced a spectacular finish.
The forward connected with the ball with an acrobatic effort that struck the crossbar before finding its way into the net, sending the Scorchers into the lead.
Temwa Doubles Malawi’s Advantage
Malawi continued to threaten and were rewarded again shortly before the interval.
Temwa Chawinga showed excellent composure inside the penalty area, rounding the goalkeeper before calmly rolling the ball into an unguarded net to give the Scorchers a 2-0 advantage at half-time.
The goal added to an already extraordinary tournament for the Kansas City Current forward.
Algeria Fight Back
Despite being a player down, Algeria refused to surrender and reduced the deficit in the 60th minute.
Ikram Adjabi reacted quickest after the ball fell loose following a dangerous free-kick from Marine Dafeur, giving Algeria renewed hope of completing a comeback.
However, Malawi quickly restored their two-goal advantage.
Tabitha Chawinga completed her brace with a powerful left-footed finish after beating her marker, putting the Scorchers firmly in control once again.
Scorchers Hold On
Algeria pushed forward in search of another goal during the closing stages, but Malawi remained organised and disciplined defensively.
The Scorchers successfully protected their 3-1 advantage until the final whistle to secure a historic victory.
The result means Malawi will contest their first-ever WAFCON final, an extraordinary achievement on their debut appearance at the tournament.
With the Chawinga sisters leading the charge, Malawi are now just one victory away from becoming African champions and completing one of the most remarkable stories in WAFCON history.
