Ranked 153rd in the World, Now in the WAFCON Final. How Malawi Dismantled Algeria 3-1 and Changed African Women’s Football Forever
They arrived in Morocco as debutants. They will leave as finalists.
On Wednesday evening at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Malawi’s Scorchers completed one of the greatest underdog stories African football has ever witnessed. A stunning 3-1 victory over Algeria sent the tournament newcomers into their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final, rewriting the history of women’s football in the country.
The semi-final had everything. Two red cards. Multiple VAR interventions. A spectacular overhead kick. Moments of individual brilliance. And when the final whistle sounded, it confirmed that Malawi’s remarkable journey was far from over.
Captain Tabitha Chawinga led from the front with two goals, while her sister Temwa Chawinga added another as the Scorchers overwhelmed an Algeria side that had reached the last four without losing a match.
The achievement becomes even more remarkable when viewed in context. Malawi arrived at WAFCON ranked 153rd in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, making them one of the tournament’s lowest-ranked teams. They now stand just one victory away from becoming champions of Africa, having outlasted several of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, including record champions Nigeria, who exited in the quarter-finals.
On Sunday, Malawi will face Cameroon in the WAFCON 2026 final after the Indomitable Lionesses defeated hosts Morocco on penalties in the other semi-final. It will be the biggest match in the history of Malawian women’s football, and an opportunity to complete one of the most extraordinary stories the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has ever produced.
You may also read:
- The Scorchers Keep Burning: How Malawi Came From Behind to Beat Ghana and Continue the Greatest Debut in WAFCON History
- WAFCON 2026: Every Shock, Every Hero and Every Controversy So Far Before the Semi-Finals
- Algeria Come From Behind to Stun Ivory Coast 2-1 and Reach WAFCON 2026 Semi-Finals
- Nnadozie’s Error, Madugu’s Gamble and Bihina’s Brilliance: Three Moments That Ended Nigeria’s WAFCON Campaign
MATCH DETAILS
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | TotalEnergies WAFCON 2026, Semi-Final 2 |
| Date | Wednesday, August 13, 2026 |
| Venue | Olympic Stadium, Rabat, Morocco |
| Kick-off | 18:00 WAT (17:00 GMT) |
| Result | Algeria 1-3 Malawi |
| Malawi goals | Tabitha Chawinga 33′ (overhead kick off crossbar). Temwa Chawinga 45+1′ (rounded GK). Tabitha Chawinga 76′ (shot through defender’s legs) |
| Algeria goal | Ikram Adjabi 60′ (reacted to loose ball after Dafeur free kick) |
| Red cards | Morgane Belkhiter (ALG) 23′ — last defender foul on Tabitha Chawinga (VAR). Rose Kadzere (MWI) — studs-up tackle on Marine Dafeur before HT |
| Second half | Both teams with 10 players. Algeria pulled one back but Tabitha sealed it at 76′ |
| Tabitha Chawinga | Plays for Lyon in France’s top league. 4 goals at WAFCON 2026 total. Tournament captain of Malawi |
| Temwa Chawinga | Kansas City-based. 5 goals at WAFCON 2026 total. Joint second highest scorer behind Banda (5) |
| Malawi world ranking | 153rd in the world. In the WAFCON final |
| Malawi achievement | First ever WAFCON final in their debut tournament. First debutant in WAFCON history to reach the final |
| Malawi final opponent | Cameroon (Sunday August 16. 20:00 GMT. Rabat Olympic Stadium) |
MATCH EVENTS TIMELINE
| Min | Event | Detail | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-22′ | Physical opening | An intense, physical contest from the first whistle. Both teams competing hard in midfield. Malawi looking to exploit Tabitha Chawinga’s aerial quality early | 0-0 |
| 23′ | 🟥 RED CARD | Algeria’s Morgane Belkhiter sent off following VAR review for denying Tabitha Chawinga a clear goalscoring opportunity. Algeria down to 10 players. The match changes shape entirely | 0-0 |
| 24-32′ | Malawi press | Malawi immediately capitalise on the numerical advantage. Algeria reorganising and trying to hold their shape. Pressure building in the Algerian penalty area | 0-0 |
| 33′ | ⚽ GOAL | Tabitha Chawinga. Acrobatic overhead left-footed kick from a corner. Ball strikes the crossbar and bounces down over the goal line. Spectacular. Rabat erupts. Malawi lead | 0-1 |
| ~40′ | 🟥 RED CARD | Rose Kadzere (Malawi) sent off for a studs-up tackle on Algeria’s Marine Dafeur. Both teams now reduced to 10 players heading into halftime | 0-1 |
| 45+1′ | ⚽ GOAL | Temwa Chawinga rounds goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi and slides the ball into the empty net. First minute of added time. Malawi go into halftime 2-0 ahead. Algeria shell-shocked | 0-2 HT |
| 60′ | ⚽ GOAL | Ikram Adjabi reacts quickest to a loose ball following Marine Dafeur’s dangerous free kick. Algeria pull one back. Suddenly the match has life. Tension returns to the Olympic Stadium | 1-2 |
| 61-75′ | Algeria push | Algeria sensing a comeback. Pushing forward with purpose. Malawi defending with 10 players. The crowd wondering if the fairytale can survive the Algerian response | 1-2 |
| 76′ | ⚽ GOAL | Tabitha Chawinga. Solo run. Fires the ball through an Algerian defender’s legs from close range. Her second goal. Algeria cannot come back from 3-1. The final is confirmed | 1-3 |
| 77-90′ | Malawi see it out | Algeria deflated after the third goal. Malawi manage the final minutes with calm and discipline. The Olympic Stadium begins to celebrate history being made | 1-3 |
| FT | Full Time | Malawi win 3-1. First WAFCON final in their history. First debutant to reach a WAFCON final. The fairytale is complete. Sunday is the biggest day in Malawian women’s football | 1-3 |
MATCH REVIEW
The Red Card That Set the Tone
The semi-final was an intense and physical encounter, with both teams reduced to 10 players before half-time. Algeria suffered the first blow when Morgane Belkhiter was sent off in the 23rd minute after denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
From that moment the trajectory of the match shifted permanently. Malawi had the quality to cause Algeria problems with eleven players. With ten against ten, they had the physical presence and the tactical discipline to be devastating. Algeria, reorganising after losing a defender, were suddenly exposed to exactly the kind of pressure they had no clean answer to.
Ten minutes after the red card, Tabitha Chawinga produced the most spectacular goal of the entire WAFCON 2026 tournament.
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.
An overhead kick in a semi-final. Off the crossbar. Into the goal. From the captain of a team ranked 153rd in the world. That goal belongs in a highlight reel that will be watched for years.
Two Goals Before Halftime. Game Over.
Malawi were not finished. Less than fifteen minutes after Tabitha’s overhead kick, the Scorchers made it 2-0 in the most composed way possible.
Temwa Chawinga scored one goal and set up the other in Malawi’s semifinal win. 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 the empty net.
Round the goalkeeper. Slide it in. Calm as you like. Malawi 2-0 Algeria at halftime. Rose Kadzere had also been sent off before the break for a studs-up tackle on Dafeur, meaning both teams would play the second half with 10 players. But the damage was already done. Algeria needed to score twice to level. Against a Malawi team that had shown throughout this tournament they know how to defend a lead.
Algeria’s Brief Comeback. Then Tabitha Again.
Algeria pulled one back in the 60th minute through Ikram Adjabi, who reacted quickest to a loose ball following Marine Dafeur’s dangerous free-kick.
For fifteen minutes after that goal the match had genuine tension. Algeria were pressing. Malawi were defending with 10 players. The crowd sensed a potential drama. Could Algeria complete a semi-final comeback?
Tabitha Chawinga answered the question directly and decisively.
Tabitha Chawinga scored her second goal in the 76th minute, with a shot between an Algerian defender’s legs to give Malawi a 3-1 lead.
3-1. Done. The Chawinga sisters had combined for eight of Malawi’s goals at the tournament. Temwa with five, Tabitha with four. Together they had produced the defining performances of the most extraordinary debut tournament in African women’s football history.
PLAYER RATINGS
| Player | Team | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tabitha Chawinga ⭐⚽⚽ | Malawi | 10/10 | Player of the Match. Overhead kick goal at 33′. Solo second goal at 76′. The captain of a 153rd-ranked nation leading her team into a WAFCON final. A performance for the ages |
| Temwa Chawinga ⚽ | Malawi | 9/10 | Rounded the goalkeeper and finished into an empty net at 45+1′. Five tournament goals. The most prolific scorer in Malawi’s WAFCON campaign. Outstanding throughout |
| Malawi defence (collective) | Malawi | 7/10 | Held Algeria to 1-2 with 10 players for the entire second half after Kadzere’s red card. Showed exactly the defensive resilience that has defined this tournament campaign |
| Lovemore Fazili (Coach) | Malawi | 9/10 | Managed a 10 vs 10 match with calm and intelligence. His team never panicked after Algeria pulled one back. The best coached debut tournament in WAFCON history |
| Rose Kadzere | Malawi | 5/10 | Hero of the Ghana quarter-final with the 79th minute winner. Red card before halftime here for a studs-up tackle on Dafeur. Malawi had to manage the second half without her |
| Ikram Adjabi ⚽ | Algeria | 6/10 | Goal at 60′ gave Algeria brief hope and created genuine second half tension. The only Algerian player who provided a genuine attacking threat in the second half |
| Morgane Belkhiter | Algeria | 2/10 | Red card in the 23rd minute for denying Tabitha Chawinga a clear goalscoring opportunity. Ended Algeria’s chance of winning this semi-final before it had really begun |
| Marine Dafeur | Algeria | 6/10 | Her dangerous free kick directly led to Adjabi’s goal. The most creative Algerian player in a match where Algeria never found their best level after the early red card |
TEAM RATINGS
| Category | Malawi | Algeria | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacking | 9/10 | 5/10 | Three goals. Three different qualities. Overhead kick. Rounded keeper. Shot through legs. The Chawinga sisters were unstoppable |
| Creativity | 9/10 | 5/10 | Tabitha’s overhead kick was the most creative goal of the entire WAFCON 2026 tournament. Algeria’s creativity limited by the early red card disruption |
| Defending | 7/10 | 5/10 | Malawi conceded once and held on with 10 players. Algeria conceded three despite having the game’s most organised defensive record entering the semi-finals |
| Tactics | 9/10 | 5/10 | Malawi exploited the red card advantage immediately and efficiently. Algeria’s tactical shape completely disrupted by Belkhiter’s dismissal in the 23rd minute |
| Mentality | 9/10 | 6/10 | Malawi did not sit on their lead after 2-0. They kept attacking. After Algeria pulled one back they responded within 16 minutes with the clincher. Outstanding mentality |
| Composure | 9/10 | 5/10 | Temwa’s rounded-keeper finish. Tabitha’s shot-through-legs second goal. Two of the most composed finishes under pressure of the tournament |
| Physical Intensity | 7/10 | 7/10 | A physically intense semi-final that produced two red cards. Both teams competed hard throughout. The physicality ultimately favoured Malawi’s stronger individual duellers |
| Set Pieces | 9/10 | 6/10 | Tabitha’s overhead kick came directly from a corner. Algeria’s Dafeur free kick set up Adjabi’s goal. Set pieces defined the key moments of both halves |
| Coaching Decisions | 9/10 | 5/10 | Fazili managed the 10 vs 10 second half beautifully. Algeria’s coach could not find a way to unlock Malawi’s defensive block after Adjabi’s goal |
KAKAKINEWS MATCH INDEX
| Index Category | Score | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Match Quality | 8.5/10 | Two red cards. Three goals of varying quality. VAR interventions. Comeback attempt. Overhead kick. All the drama a semi-final deserves |
| Malawi Performance | 9/10 | Three goals of outstanding quality. Managed 10 vs 10 for the entire second half. Responded to Algeria’s comeback goal immediately. The Chawinga sisters were unplayable |
| Algeria Performance | 5/10 | Belkhiter’s red card effectively ended their chances in the 23rd minute. Adjabi’s goal showed fight but Algeria never found the second goal that would have made it a contest |
| Entertainment Value | 9/10 | An overhead kick. Two red cards. A comeback goal. A solo clincher. A debutant nation in the final. Everything a WAFCON semi-final should produce |
| Tournament Stakes | 10/10 | 153rd ranked nation. First WAFCON tournament. First WAFCON final. The most historic result in Malawian women’s football and one of the greatest stories in African women’s football |
| Coaching Battle | 8/10 | Fazili managed the red card disruptions on both sides with total composure. Algeria’s coach never found an answer to Malawi’s structure after the numerical advantage was equalised |
| KakakiNews Overall Match Index | 8/10 | A semi-final that Malawi dominated from the moment Belkhiter saw red. The Chawinga sisters produced a performance that belongs in the history of African women’s football. Malawi are in the final. |
Do you think Malawi can go all the way and win the WAFCON 2026 final against Cameroon? Drop your prediction for Sunday in the comments now.
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EDITORIAL CREDIT
This match review was prepared by the KakakiNews Sports Editorial Team using verified reporting from Associated Press, ABC News, Washington Post, Flashscore, Blueprint Newspapers, DailySports, CAFOnline and AfricaTopSports. Video highlights from Sahara Football. All tactical analysis, player ratings, match verdicts, and editorial commentary are original KakakiNews content.
