Chawinga Sisters Fire Malawi Into Historic WAFCON Final After Beating Algeria

Malawi booked their place in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final with a 3-1 victory over Algeria in Rabat on Wednesday, driven by goals from sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga. According to reporting from Yahoo Sports and Kisure, the tournament debutants overcame a frantic, end-to-end semi-final featuring two first-half red cards and multiple video assistant referee interventions to secure the historic win.

Chawinga Sisters Drive Malawi Past Algeria

The Scorchers entered the match as the lowest-ranked side playing in Morocco but quickly took control of the contest. According to Yahoo Sports, Tabitha Chawinga opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with an acrobatic overhead left-footed kick that struck the crossbar and spun back across the goal line.

The breakthrough arrived shortly after Algeria defender Morgane Belkhiter received a red card following a VAR review for denying Tabitha Chawinga a goalscoring opportunity, according to Kisure. Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, younger sister Temwa Chawinga doubled the lead in the first minute of first-half added time by rounding Algeria goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi and sliding the ball into an empty net, as reported by Yahoo Sports.

Red Cards and Second-Half Action in Rabat

Despite holding a two-goal cushion, Malawi briefly played with ten players before the interval. Yahoo Sports and Kisure noted that Rose Kadzere received a red card following an extended VAR check for a studs-up challenge just before halftime.

Algeria cut the deficit roughly an hour into the match when Ikram Adjabi reacted quickest to slot a shot across the goal after the defending side failed to get it, according to Kisure. However, Tabitha Chawinga sealed the outcome late in the game, slicing into the box to score her second goal of the night and restore a two-goal advantage for the tournament debutants.

A Historic Run to the WAFCON Final

The victory caps a remarkable run for Malawi, who have defeated continental heavyweights including Nigeria and Ghana earlier in the tournament, according to Yahoo Sports. Excluding the inaugural 1998 edition, the Southern Africans are the first debutants to reach the final of the expanded 16-team competition.

The Chawinga sisters have combined for eight of Malawi’s 12 goals in the tournament, with Temwa scoring five and Tabitha netting three, according to Yahoo Sports. Their performances have also secured qualification for the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The Scorchers will face Cameroon in the final on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 19:00 GMT, looking to claim the WAFCON trophy.