Nigeria’s bid for a record-extending 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title suffered a major blow on Tuesday as tournament debutants Malawi pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history with a stunning 3-2 victory over the defending champions.
The Scorchers produced a fearless performance to hand the Super Falcons a losing start in Group C, boosting their own hopes of reaching the knockout stage while leaving Nigeria with work to do to keep their title defence alive.
After a tightly contested first half ended goalless, Malawi broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute when Temwa Chawinga fired home to spark wild celebrations.
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Six minutes later, captain Tabitha Chawinga doubled the advantage, putting the tournament debutants firmly in control and leaving the 10-time African champions facing an uphill battle.
Nigeria finally responded in stoppage time after captain Rasheedat Ajibade converted a penalty in the 92nd minute to reduce the deficit and revive hopes of a dramatic comeback.
However, Malawi quickly restored their two-goal cushion when Temwa Chawinga grabbed her second goal of the match three minutes later to make it 3-1.
The Super Falcons refused to surrender, with substitute Uchenna Kanu scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time, but it proved too little, too late as Malawi held on for a famous 3-2 victory.
The result ranks among the greatest shocks in WAFCON history, with Malawi marking their first-ever appearance at the tournament by defeating Africa’s most successful women’s national team.
Nigeria will now need a positive result in their next Group C fixture to revive their hopes of retaining the continental crown, while Malawi have taken a giant step towards a place in the knockout rounds.
The result vindicated the confidence expressed by Malawi before the match.
Head coach Lovemore Fazili had declared during the pre-match press conference that his side was capable of upsetting the defending champions.
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“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,” he said.
Captain Tabitha Chawinga had also urged her teammates to approach the encounter without fear.
“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 said before kick-off.
