Super Falcons Lose Opening WAFCON 2026 Match to Debutants Malawi
- Malawi's Scorchers stunned defending champions Nigeria in their opening 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations group match
- The Chawinga sisters combined to put Malawi 2-0 ahead before Nigeria mounted a late comeback attempt
- Nigeria now face a must-win clash against Zambia to keep their knockout stage hopes alive in Group B
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Nigeria's Super Falcons suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to Malawi in their opening game of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Thursday at Stade El Barid in Morocco.
The Scorchers, making their WAFCON debut, caused one of the tournament's biggest early upsets by defeating the defending champions and knocking Group B's standings off balance from the very first match day.
Malawi made their intentions clear with a clinical finish from Temwa Chawinga, who put her side in front in the 73rd minute. Six minutes later, her sister Tabitha Chawinga doubled the advantage to leave Nigeria in serious trouble with little time remaining.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade pulled one back for the Falcons deep into stoppage time in the 90th minute, raising hopes of a dramatic equaliser.
However, Malawi responded swiftly to restore their two-goal cushion and make it 3-1. Uchenna Kanu grabbed a second goal for Nigeria to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but there was not enough time left to salvage a point.
The result ended Nigeria's opening match on the back foot as Malawi celebrated a historic win on their continental debut against one of women's football's strongest sides on the continent.
Nigeria faces difficult situation
The defeat leaves Nigeria in a difficult position in Group B. Earlier on the same match day, Zambia dismantled Egypt 6-0, which means Zambia currently sit top of the group while Nigeria occupy third place.
With the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds, the Falcons must beat Zambia in their second group fixture to keep their qualification hopes intact.
A semi-final finish is also critical for Nigeria beyond the tournament itself, as teams reaching the last four will secure a place at the 2027 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
What Madugu said before match
Legit.ng previously reported that Justine Madugu admitted that even though Malawi are debutants, any team can hurt you at the Women's AFCON.
The manager confirmed that his team are ready and will not underrate any team as they begin their title defence, but unfortunately suffered a defeat.
Source: Legit.ng
