Malawi Stun Algeria As Cameroon Edge Morocco To Set Up 2026 WAFCON Final

Malawi Stun Algeria As Cameroon Edge Morocco To Set Up 2026 WAFCON Final

By Niyi Busari 

 Malawi and Cameroon will contest the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final after contrasting semifinal victories in Rabat on Wednesday, with the debutant Scorchers overcoming Algeria 3-1 before the Indomitable Lionesses defeated hosts Morocco 3-1 on penalties, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The final, scheduled for Sunday, will pit Malawi’s remarkable debut campaign against a Cameroon side chasing a fifth continental title.

Chawinga sisters fire Malawi into historic final

Malawi reached their first WAFCON final with a 3-1 victory over Algeria at the Olympic Stadium, continuing one of the tournament’s most remarkable stories.

The Chawinga sisters were again at the heart of the Scorchers’ success, with Tabitha scoring twice and Temwa adding the other as Malawi became the first tournament debutants since Zimbabwe in 2000 to reach the final.

The match, officiated by Nigerian referee Yemisi Akintoye, produced two red cards in a dramatic first half.

Algeria were reduced to 10 players in the 23rd minute after Morgane Belkhiter was sent off following a VAR review for denying Tabitha Chawinga a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Malawi made their numerical advantage count 10 minutes later. Tabitha produced a spectacular overhead kick that struck the crossbar before crossing the line to give the Scorchers the lead.

Temwa Chawinga doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time, but Malawi were also reduced to 10 players moments before the break when Rose Kadzere was sent off following another VAR review for a high challenge.

The dismissal ensured both teams played the second half with 10 players.

Algeria responded after the interval, with Ikram Adjabi pulling a goal back in the 60th minute to revive hopes of a comeback.

Those hopes were extinguished in the 76th minute, however, when Tabitha Chawinga struck again to restore Malawi’s two-goal advantage and secure a 3-1 victory.

The result capped a remarkable run for the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, who have now eliminated Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria on their way to their first continental final.

Temwa’s goal took her tournament tally to four, while her four goals and two assists give her six goal involvements, level with Zambia’s Barbra Banda for the most at the tournament.

For Algeria, the defeat ended a historic campaign in which they reached their first WAFCON semifinal and secured qualification for their first FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Cameroon break Moroccan hearts on penalties

Cameroon secured the second final berth after a dramatic 3-1 penalty-shootout victory over hosts Morocco at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.

Neither side could break the deadlock during 120 minutes, but Morocco came agonisingly close to avoiding a shootout when they were awarded a penalty late in extra time.

Fatima Tagnaout stepped up in the 118th minute but failed to convert, handing Cameroon a crucial reprieve.

The miss proved decisive.

Morocco converted only one of their four penalties, with Hanane Aït El Haj scoring, while Kenza Chapelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui all failed to find the net.

Cameroon, meanwhile, converted three of their four attempts through Marie Ngah, Rose Bella and Myriam Nyadjou. Grace Mendoua missed the other effort.

The victory sends Cameroon into their fourth WAFCON final and marks another major knockout triumph after their 1-0 quarter-final victory over defending champions Nigeria.

For much of the semifinal, Morocco had enjoyed the backing of a passionate home crowd and attempted to control the game through possession and attacks down the flanks. Cameroon remained compact and disciplined, frustrating the hosts and limiting clear opportunities.

Morocco increased the pressure after the break, with coach Jorge Vilda turning to his substitutes as the hosts searched for the breakthrough. But Cameroon’s defensive organisation held firm, forcing the match into extra time and ultimately penalties.

The result ends Morocco’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive WAFCON final and winning the title on home soil.

Cameroon’s victory also ended a difficult history in penalty shootouts at the competition. The Indomitable Lionesses had lost their previous three WAFCON shootouts, including a semifinal defeat by Nigeria in 2018.

They will now face Malawi in Sunday’s final after eliminating the defending champions and the hosts in successive knockout rounds.

A final between two unlikely stories

Sunday’s final will bring together two teams that have taken very different paths to the continental showpiece.

Malawi, appearing at the WAFCON finals for the first time, have stunned three established sides on their way to the final, powered by the outstanding performances of the Chawinga sisters.

Cameroon, meanwhile, have relied on resilience and knockout experience, first eliminating nine-time champions Nigeria and then overcoming hosts Morocco in another high-pressure contest.

One of them will lift the African women’s football crown on Sunday.