Ucheibe: Malawi Defeat Reflects Growth in Women's Football

Christy Ucheibe, a midfielder for the Super Falcons, attributed the team's unexpected 3-2 defeat to Malawi in their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Group C opener to the increasing competitiveness of women's football across Africa. The match, held in Rabat on Tuesday, was goalless at halftime before Malawi's Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, scored three goals in the second half.

Nigeria's Rasheedat Ajibade scored a late goal, but Malawi's Temwa restored their two-goal lead before Uchenna Kanu's strike provided only consolation. Ucheibe, who did not play in the match, emphasized that the result reflected the growth of women's football rather than issues within the Super Falcons.

She stated that the team held a pitch-side meeting post-match to reset their mindset, aiming for a better performance against Zambia on Saturday, following Zambia's impressive 6-0 win over Egypt in their opener.