The sensational Chawinga sisters fired underdogs Malawi into the final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday, steering the Scorchers to a comfortable 3-1 semi-final victory over Algeria in Rabat.
The Southern Africans, making their WAFCON debut and entering the tournament as the lowest-ranked team in Morocco, produced a performance packed with drama and momentum to set up a 16 August final against Cameroon.
Wednesday’s semi-final delivered more than the headline result.
It unfolded as an end-to-end contest featuring two red cards in the first half after VAR interventions, with both teams creating openings before the decisive bursts of quality from the Chawingas.
Algeria defender Morgane Belkhiter was shown a red card for denying Malawi captain Tabitha Chawinga an opportunity to score before Tabitha broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute.
The older sister unleashed an acrobatic overhead kick that struck the crossbar, rebounded off the turf and crossed the goal line, drawing Malawi ahead.
Temwa Chawinga doubled the lead at the start of first-half stoppage time.
Rose Kadzere was dismissed before the break following another extended VAR review for a studs-up challenge.
In the second half, Algeria briefly threatened when Ikram Adjabi scored but Tabitha Chawinga’s second goal effectively extinguished any comeback hopes, restoring Malawi’s control and underlining the impact the sisters have had throughout the tournament.
With their semi-final victory, Malawi ensured a place in the final – and, having already qualified for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil by reaching the last four, the Scorchers are now on the brink of something historic.
They will take on Cameroon in Sunday’s final at 19:00 GMT, chasing the completion of a remarkable underdog story.
JN/APA