Malawi Stuns Nigeria 3-2 in WAFCON Opener

In a stunning upset at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Malawi's national women's football team defeated the defending champions, Nigeria, 3-2 in a Group C match held in Rabat. The Chawinga sisters were pivotal in this victory, with Temwa scoring twice and Tabitha once.

Temwa opened the scoring in the 73rd minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Nigeria. Just six minutes later, Tabitha extended the lead to 2-0 following a counter-attack.

Nigeria's captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, converted a penalty to reduce the deficit, but Temwa's second goal in stoppage time restored Malawi's two-goal cushion. Uchenna Kanu scored a late goal for Nigeria, but it was not enough to change the outcome.

This match marked Malawi's first appearance in the tournament and is considered one of the biggest upsets in WAFCON history, as Nigeria has won 10 of the previous 13 editions.