Malawi stun Algeria, Cameroon edge Morocco to reach WAFCON final
Theo Al Jazeera English
Malawi will face Cameroon in the 2026 WAFCON final after stunning Algeria 3-1 and Cameroon edged Morocco on penalties. All four semi-finalists have qualified for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
Young underdogs Malawi will take on giants Cameroon in the final of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled for next Sunday.
In the first semi-final on Wednesday, Malawi beat Algeria 3-1 thanks to a brace from Tabitha Chawinga. Meanwhile, Cameroon edged past Morocco 3-1 on penalties after a goalless draw in the other semi-final.
All four semi-finalists have already secured their places at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. Malawi and Algeria will be making their World Cup debuts. Morocco will appear at their second World Cup after reaching the round of 16 in 2023, while Cameroon return after featuring in the 2015 and 2019 editions.
Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina saved three Moroccan spot-kicks, and Myriam Maéva Nyadjou converted the decisive penalty to send Cameroon through. Morocco dominated possession throughout regulation time.
In the second half of extra time, Cameroon's Myriam Maeva Nyadjou fouled Sakina Ouzraoui inside the area. After a VAR review, the referee awarded Morocco a penalty. However, Bihina denied Fatima Tagnaout, keeping the score at 0-0.
Earlier, Cameroon had beaten Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals — only their second victory over Nigeria at WAFCON in 14 meetings. More than 19,000 fans attended the match at the Moulay Al Hassan stadium.
Tabitha Chawinga scored twice and her sister Temwa added another as Malawi reached a first-ever final. Despite being ranked 153rd in the world, Malawi have produced a major shock by reaching the title match in their very first WAFCON appearance.
Algeria were reduced to ten men in the 23rd minute when Morgane Belkhiter was shown a red card for a foul on Tabitha Chawinga. Chawinga, who plays for Lyon in the French league, opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a left-footed shot that bounced in off the crossbar.
Temwa Chawinga, of Kansas City Current in the American NWSL, scored her fifth goal of the tournament when she rounded Algeria goalkeeper Chloe N'Gazi in first-half stoppage time. Immediately after, Malawi's Rose Kadzere was also sent off for a challenge on Marine Dafeur, leaving both teams with ten players in the second half.
Ikram Adjabi pulled one back for Algeria in the 60th minute. But Tabitha Chawinga completed her brace in the 76th minute with a shot through the legs of an Algeria defender, sealing a 3-1 victory for Malawi.
The four quarter-final losers still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup. Nigeria will face South Africa, while Ghana take on Ivory Coast in Casablanca on Thursday, with the winners advancing to an intercontinental playoff.
