Malawi and Cameroon reach WAFCON final as hosts Morocco crash out on penalties

Malawi's debut fairy tale

Malawi, ranked 153rd in the world by FIFA entering the tournament, reached the WAFCON final in their first-ever appearance at the continental championship, a feat not achieved by any nation since the inaugural 1998 edition. The Scorchers beat defending champions Nigeria in their opening group fixture before edging Ghana in the quarter-finals, a result that also secured their qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. On Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, they dispatched Algeria 3-1 to continue a run that has made them the story of the tournament. The Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, have been central to that success, combining for all three goals in the semi-final.

Semi-final: Malawi 3-1 Algeria

Algeria coach Farid Benstiti had warned beforehand about Malawi's potent attack, which had scored nine goals in four games.

We need to be a rampart against this attack.

The match was shaped by two red cards in the first half. Algerian defender Morgane Belkhiter was sent off in the 22nd minute after a VAR review for denying Tabitha Chawinga a clear goal-scoring opportunity, departing the pitch in tears. Tabitha Chawinga, a 30-year-old striker who plays for OL Lyonnes, opened the scoring in the 34th minute with an acrobatic bicycle kick that struck the crossbar and bounced over the line. Temwa Chawinga doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time at 45'+1, rounding Algerian goalkeeper Chloe N'Gazi to score her fifth goal of the tournament, drawing level with Zambian striker Barbra Banda in the WAFCON Golden Boot race. Moments later, Malawi midfielder Rose Kadzere received a straight red card at 45'+8 for a dangerous challenge, leaving both sides at 10 players for the second half. Algeria narrowed the gap through Ikram Adjabi in the 60th minute with a half-volley past Malawian goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo, but Tabitha Chawinga extinguished any comeback in the 76th minute, slipping the ball past N'Gazi for her brace and a 3-1 final scoreline.

Cameroon stun hosts Morocco on penalties

The second semi-final was a far tighter affair, ending 0-0 after extra time. Morocco, runners-up in 2022 and finalists at the delayed 2024 WAFCON, had invested heavily in women's football and hired Spain's Women's World Cup-winning manager Jorge Vilda in pursuit of a maiden continental title. The Atlas Lionesses created chances, with Sanaa Mssoudy hitting the woodwork in the 14th minute, but could not break through a disciplined Cameroon side. Two minutes before the end of extra time, a VAR review awarded Morocco a penalty, but substitute Fatima Tagnaout's tame effort was saved by goalkeeper Michaely Bihina. In the shootout, Bihina saved three spot kicks, and teenager Myriam Nyadjou converted the winner for a 3-1 penalty victory. Cameroon's presence at the tournament was itself improbable: they were knocked out in qualifying and only reached the finals on their world ranking after the Confederation of African Football expanded the tournament to 16 teams midway through the preliminary process. In the quarter-finals, Bihina had made nine saves as Cameroon upset 10-time champions Nigeria. The shootout win over Morocco was also a breakthrough for Cameroon, who had lost all three previous penalty shootouts at the WAFCON (1998, 2008, 2018) and were seeking a fourth final appearance after those of 2004, 2014, and 2016.

What comes next

The final on Sunday, August 16 in Rabat will crown a new African champion. All past continental tournaments have been won by either Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, or South Africa, guaranteeing a first-time winner. Algeria will face Morocco in the third-place match on Saturday, August 15. Both Malawi and Cameroon, along with the other two quarter-final winners, have already qualified for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil through their quarter-final victories.