Rabat, Morocco (Running Africa) — For years, Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga built their football careers thousands of kilometers from home. Now, the sisters are turning that experience into one of the most remarkable runs in African women’s football, carrying Malawi into its first WAFCON final and a historic place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Chawinga sisters scored all three goals as Malawi defeated Algeria 3-1 in Wednesday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semi-final in Rabat, extending a stunning tournament run for a team that arrived in Morocco ranked 153rd in the world.
Malawi entered the competition as WAFCON debutants. They will now play Cameroon in the final, with one more victory separating the Scorchers from a first African championship.
Chawinga Sisters Power Malawi Past Algeria
Malawi captain Tabitha Chawinga opened the scoring with an acrobatic finish before younger sister Temwa Chawinga doubled the advantage shortly before half-time.
Tabitha struck again in the second half to complete Malawi’s 3-1 victory and secure a place in the continental final.
The sisters have been at the heart of Malawi’s historic campaign, combining to score eight of the Scorchers’ 12 goals at the tournament.
Their performances have transformed a remarkable underdog story into a genuine title challenge.
From Malawi to the Top of Women’s Football
The Chawinga sisters’ journey to the WAFCON final has been years in the making.
Tabitha has built an international career spanning Sweden, China, Italy and France and now plays for French powerhouse Lyon.
She also became the first Malawian footballer nominated for the Ballon d’Or, establishing herself among the world’s leading women’s players.
Temwa has meanwhile emerged as a star in the United States, winning consecutive NWSL Golden Boot and MVP awards in 2024 and 2025. She became the first player in league history to win the MVP award in back-to-back seasons.
Together, the sisters have become the faces of a new era for Malawian football.
Malawi’s Historic WAFCON Run Continues
Few expected Malawi to reach this stage.
The Scorchers arrived in Morocco ranked 153rd in the world and competing at WAFCON for the first time.
But rankings have meant little once the tournament began.
Malawi have produced one of the competition’s biggest surprises, stunning defending champions Nigeria, eliminating Ghana and now defeating Algeria on their way to the final.
The run has also secured Malawi’s first qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, where the Scorchers will represent Africa at the 2027 tournament in Brazil.
Cameroon Stand Between Malawi and WAFCON History
One challenge remains.
Cameroon will face Malawi in the WAFCON final, with the Scorchers now within touching distance of completing one of African football’s great underdog runs.
For Malawi, simply reaching this point has already rewritten the country’s football history. A team making its continental debut will leave Morocco as a World Cup qualifier and, at minimum, one of Africa’s top two women’s teams.
But after everything Tabitha, Temwa and the Scorchers have accomplished, they now have an even bigger prize within reach.
One more victory would make Malawi champions of Africa, and complete a journey that few outside the team could have imagined when the tournament began.
