Nigeria’s quest for a record-extending 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title suffered a major setback on Tuesday as tournament debutants Malawi stunned the defending champions 3-2 in their Group C opener.
The Scorchers produced a spirited display to hand the record 10-time African champions a losing start to the defence of their continental crown.
After a closely contested opening half, Malawi broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute through Temwa Chawinga before captain Tabitha Chawinga doubled the advantage six minutes later to leave the Super Falcons with a mountain to climb.
Nigeria pulled one back in stoppage time when captain Rasheedat Ajibade calmly converted from the penalty spot in the 90+2nd minute, raising hopes of an unlikely comeback.
Those hopes were short-lived as Temwa Chawinga struck again three minutes later to restore Malawi’s two-goal cushion and put the result beyond doubt.
The Super Falcons, however, refused to give up, with substitute Uchenna Kanu scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
However, there was no time left to salvage a result as Malawi held on for a famous victory.
The result ranks among the biggest upsets in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with Malawi marking their tournament debut by defeating Africa’s most successful women’s national team.
Nigeria will now have to bounce back in their next Group C fixture to revive their campaign, while Malawi’s historic victory has significantly boosted their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
In the pre-match press conference, coach Lovemore Fazili set the tone from the outset: “Getting this far means that we are ready for this match.
“People may underestimate us but we are a good team, capable of causing an upset. We are not resigned victims.”
Captain Tabitha Chawinga approaches this historic encounter with boundless enthusiasm.
“It was my dream to play in the WAFCON. The time has come. We know Nigeria’s worth.
“They are a great nation but we must focus on ourselves. Our players need to compete without any inferiority complex,” she stated before the game.
Tough or easy road ahead?
PUNCH Online reports that Nigeria’s Super Falcons are currently sitting third in Group C with zero points, just ahead of bottom-placed Egypt thanks to a superior goal difference after their opening 3-2 loss to Malawi.
Despite the rocky start, the defending champions still have a strong path to revival, as both the top two teams in the group and the two best third-placed finishers tournament-wide will advance to the quarter-finals.
Zambia currently leads the group on goal difference with three points after thrashing Egypt 6-0 on Tuesday earlier.
The teams captain Barbra Banda netted four goals.
Zambia are followed closely by Malawi, who also holds three points.
The Super Falcons will face group leaders Zambia next on Saturday, 1 August 2026, at 9:00 PM WAT.
This match is a crucial, must-win fixture for Nigeria if they want to regain control of their destiny and climb up the standings.
Facing a clinical Zambian side that won their opener 6-0 means the Falcons must tighten their defense and capitalize on every attacking opportunity.
Nigeria will then wrap up their group stage campaign against Egypt on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, also kicking off at 9:00 PM WAT.
A commanding victory in this final match could prove vital in securing automatic qualification or locking down a spot as one of the best third-placed teams.
Six points are still up for grabs, leaving plenty of room for a dramatic turnaround.
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