AFCON 2025
Nigeria’s Super Falcons enter Tuesday’s WAFCON 2026 opener against Malawi as heavy favourites, and rightly so. The record ten-time champions boast the attacking arsenal of Asisat Oshoala, Esther Okoronkwo, and Gift Monday, backed by a squad built for another title defence. But Malawi’s Scorchers, despite making their tournament debut, carry genuine firepower that could punish any lapse in concentration from Justine Madugu’s side.
Tabitha Chawinga headlines Malawi’s threat as both captain and talisman. The Olympique Lyonnais forward brings elite European experience to the debutants’ campaign, and her movement, finishing, and ability to conjure something from nothing make her the player Nigeria’s defence must track for all 90 minutes. Any space afforded to her inside the box could prove costly.
Temwa Chawinga complements her sister as vice-captain and provides a different kind of danger. The Kansas City Current forward returns to the national team after missing recent international assignments, and her pace and directness give Malawi a second attacking outlet that can stretch Nigeria’s backline on the counter. Together, the Chawinga sisters give Malawi a strike partnership capable of hurting even the most disciplined defence.
Beyond the sisters, Sabinah Thom deserves close attention. The TP Mazembe forward brings a handful of experience after having featured in the Women’s COSAFA Cup. Sabinah Thom scored in the final of the 2023 COSAFA Cup as Malawi beat Zambia 2-1 in the final. Her inclusion adds depth to Malawi’s frontline, and her pace could wreak havoc for the defending champions.
Nigeria head into the fixture off the back of a hard-fought 2-1 friendly win over Tanzania just days ago, a result that should offer some reassurance but also a reminder that Malawi will not simply make up the numbers. Super Falcons’ head Coach Madugu has already cautioned that every team at this tournament now believes it can challenge Nigeria’s dominance.
A comfortable victory remains the expectation for the Super Falcons, but complacency against a team with this much attacking quality could prove costly. Nigeria’s real test of the group stage arrives later against Zambia, but Tuesday’s opener still demands full focus from the record champions.
