Nigeria controlled much of the match but could not find the back of the net. Against the run of play, Malawi struck three times in the second half to shock Nigeria at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
Temwa Chawinga opened the scoring in the 69th minute, followed by her sister Tabitha Chawinga, who doubled Malawi’s lead. The tournament debutants found themselves 2-0 up against the reigning champions. Nigeria responded with a Rasheedat Ajibade penalty in stoppage time, sparking hopes of a late revival.
However, Temwa Chawinga netted her second goal deep into stoppage time, restoring Malawi’s two-goal advantage. Although Uchenna Kanu pulled one back for Nigeria, it was not enough to complete the comeback.
This defeat marks the first time the defending champions have lost to a debutant at WAFCON. The Scorchers’ historic victory puts them in a strong position to advance to the next round.
Nigeria will now aim to recover when they face Zambia on Saturday. The Copper Queens began their campaign by thrashing Egypt 6-0, setting up a highly anticipated clash with the Super Falcons. Notably, Nigeria defeated Zambia 5-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2024 WAFCON.
