Nigeria’s Super Falcons suffered one of the biggest upsets in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history after debutants Malawi stunned the defending champions 3-2 in a dramatic Group Stage encounter at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
The nine-time champions dominated possession and created the better chances for much of the contest but were left to rue their wastefulness as a clinical Malawi side struck three times in the second half to secure a famous victory.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute when Temwa Chawinga fired Malawi ahead against the run of play. The Scorchers doubled their advantage moments later through Tabitha Chawinga, leaving Nigeria facing an unexpected two-goal deficit.
The Super Falcons mounted a late fightback after captain Rasheedat Ajibade converted a penalty in the 91st minute to reduce the deficit and raise hopes of an unlikely comeback.
However, Temwa Chawinga struck again deep into stoppage time to restore Malawi’s two-goal cushion, effectively sealing a memorable victory for the tournament debutants.
Nigeria refused to surrender, with Uchenna Kanu scoring another late goal, but the final whistle came before the Super Falcons could find an equaliser, condemning them to a shock 3-2 defeat.
The result marked the first time Nigeria have lost to a debutant nation in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, while Malawi’s historic victory significantly boosted their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
The defeat also serves as an early warning for the Super Falcons, who must now regroup quickly ahead of a crucial clash against Zambia on Saturday.
The Copper Queens head into the encounter brimming with confidence after thrashing Egypt 6-0 in their opening fixture, setting up what promises to be one of the standout matches of the group stage.
Nigeria will, however, draw confidence from their recent record against Zambia, having cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Copper Queens in the quarter-finals of the 2024 WAFCON. The defending champions will be hoping for a similar response as they seek to revive their title defence after a stunning setback against Malawi.
