Nigeria’s defence of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title got off to a poor start after Malawi claimed a famous 3-2 victory over the Super Falcons in their Group C opener in Rabat.
The result is one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history, with Malawi celebrating their first-ever WAFCON win on their debut appearance.
The Chawinga sisters were the stars of the night. Temwa Chawinga scored twice, while Tabitha Chawinga added another as Malawi stunned the defending champions.
Nigeria struggled throughout the first half and failed to register a single shot on target. Head coach Justine Madugu started with Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi and Chinwendu Ihezuo in attack, but the trio found it difficult to break down a disciplined Malawi defence.
The Super Falcons also struggled with poor passing, weak communication and slow attacking play, while Malawi looked dangerous whenever they moved forward.
Tabitha Chawinga thought she had opened the scoring early in the second half, but her effort was ruled out for offside.
Madugu responded by introducing Toni Payne and Uchenna Kanu in the 56th minute, and Nigeria began to create more chances. Kanu immediately added pace to the attack, while Rasheedat Ajibade forced Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo into a save with a header.
Malawi finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute. Ireen Khumalo’s long pass split Nigeria’s defence, allowing Temwa Chawinga to race through, round goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and calmly score Malawi’s first-ever WAFCON goal.
Six minutes later, Nigeria’s defence was caught out again. Another long ball found Tabitha Chawinga, who finished confidently to double Malawi’s lead and leave the Super Falcons in serious trouble.
Asisat Oshoala came on late as Nigeria searched for a way back into the match. The Super Falcons pulled one back in the 88th minute after Rose Alufandika handled the ball inside the penalty area. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade converted the penalty to make it 2-1.
However, Temwa Chawinga struck again in added time to restore Malawi’s two-goal advantage with her second goal of the night.
Nigeria refused to give up, and Uchenna Kanu scored moments later to reduce the score to 3-2 after finishing from close range.
The Super Falcons pushed for a dramatic equaliser in the closing seconds, but Malawi defended well to secure a historic victory.
The defeat leaves Nigeria under pressure ahead of their next Group C match against Zambia on Saturday. With Zambia boasting attacking stars Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, the Super Falcons will need a much better defensive display if they are to keep their title defence alive.
For Malawi, it was a memorable night as the debutants announced themselves on the continental stage with a famous victory over Africa’s most successful women’s national team.
