Chawinga sisters sink Falcons

Malawi, making their debut at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, achieved a stunning upset by defeating defending champions Nigeria 3-2 in a thrilling Group C encounter. The victory, secured by sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga, marks a historic moment for the debutants against the most successful nation in the tournament's history.

Temwa Chawinga broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, timing her run to perfection to score past Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. Just six minutes later, her younger sister Tabitha doubled Malawi's lead with a swift counter-attack. Nigeria's captain Rasheedat Ajibade converted a penalty to narrow the deficit, reviving hopes of a comeback. However, Temwa Chawinga sealed the victory with a brilliant lob from distance in stoppage time, restoring Malawi's two-goal advantage.

Despite a late consolation goal from substitute Uchenna Kanu for Nigeria, Malawi held on for a memorable win. The Super Falcons, who have won 10 of the previous 13 WAFCON editions, struggled to penetrate Malawi's disciplined defense for most of the match. Before the game, Temwa Chawinga had expressed confidence in her team's ability to challenge the African champions, stating that an opening win against Nigeria would significantly boost their morale and belief.

The result places Zambia, who thrashed Egypt 6-0 earlier, at the top of Group C, leaving Nigeria with a challenging path ahead in their remaining group fixtures against Zambia and Egypt.

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To beat the defending champions would mean a lot to us. It’s our first game, so it would boost our morale and give us confidence and motivation to do even better. Because if you start well by winning your first game, a game against a team like Nigeria, the team starts believing, ‘Okay, we can do this.’