Two sisters, Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga, are at the heart of Malawi’s historic run at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika is already confident they can go all the way.
Speaking after Wednesday’s semi-final victory, Mutharika said: “Now, only 90 minutes separate us from claiming the ultimate prize in African women’s football.”
And that dream is now within reach.
On Wednesday, August 12, the sisters scored all three goals as Malawi defeated Algeria 3-1 in the first WAFCON semi-final, sending the Scorchers into their first-ever continental final.
The match kicked off at 6pm local time in Rabat, Morocco, and the Chawingas delivered.
30-year-old captain Tabitha Chawinga, wearing number 11, scored twice, while her younger sister, Temwa, wearing number 10, added the third score
It is Malawi’s debut appearance at WAFCON, and they have now gone all the way to the final. But the story of the Chawinga sisters began long before this tournament.
Tabitha started playing football at just five years old, often playing alongside boys until she was 13. She later joined DD Sunshine in Lilongwe before taking her career abroad, playing in Sweden and China, and later for Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon.
Her younger sister Temwa followed a similar path, playing in Sweden and China before moving to the United States in 2024 to join Kansas City Current in the NWSL.
She quickly made her mark, winning the league’s Golden Boot and MVP awards in both her first two seasons.
Now the sisters are bringing that experience together back to the Malawi national team. And they are doing it on the biggest stage of their careers.
Temwa has five WAFCON goals, level with Zambia’s Barbra Banda at the top of the scoring charts, while Tabitha has four, heading into Sunday’s final.
And Malawi have already secured another piece of history.
By reaching the semi-finals, the Scorchers qualified for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil — their first-ever appearance at the global tournament.
The other three African teams that have secured World Cup qualification through the WAFCON are Cameroon, Morocco and Algeria.
But one match remains.
Malawi will face Cameroon in Sunday’s final after the Indomitable Lionesses eliminated hosts Morocco 3-1 on penalties following a goalless draw, and both teams will be chasing their first-ever WAFCON title.
For Malawi, winning would cap one of the most extraordinary debut campaigns in the history of the tournament.
And for Cameroon, it would finally end years of heartbreak. The Indomitable Lionesses have reached the WAFCON final three times — in 2004, 2014 and 2016 — but lost all three to Nigeria.
Nigeria remain the record champions, with 10 WAFCON titles, followed by Equatorial Guinea with two and South Africa with one.
The final takes place on Sunday, August 16, in Rabat, with kick-off at 8pm local time.
Now, can the Chawinga sisters deliver the ultimate prize and lead Malawi to their first African title?
