AFCON 2025
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is guaranteed a first-time winner after Cameroon and Malawi booked their places in Sunday’s final with contrasting semi-final victories in Rabat on Wednesday. Neither side has previously lifted the WAFCON trophy, setting up a historic title clash between the debutant Scorchers and a Cameroon side chasing a return to continental prominence.
Malawi continued their remarkable run by beating Algeria 3-1 at the Rabat Olympic Stadium, with the Chawinga sisters once again proving decisive. Tabitha Chawinga scored twice while her sister Temwa added another, with Algeria’s task made harder after Morgane Belkhiter was sent off following a foul on Tabitha in the 23rd minute. Ikram Adjabi pulled a goal back for the North Africans in the second half, but it was not enough to prevent Malawi from reaching their first-ever WAFCON final.
Cameroon booked their spot in the showpiece with a penalty shootout win over hosts Morocco after a goalless 120 minutes at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium. The Indomitable Lionesses held firm despite sustained pressure from the home side, eventually prevailing 3-1 on spot kicks to end Morocco’s hopes of a third consecutive WAFCON final appearance. The result also erased painful history for Cameroon, who had lost all three of their previous WAFCON penalty shootouts, including a 2018 semi-final defeat to Nigeria.
Cameroon’s route to the final has been particularly eye-catching, having already eliminated defending and record 10-time champions Nigeria in the quarter-finals before overcoming Morocco in the last four. They now stand one win away from a fifth continental title and a first since reclaiming their place among Africa’s elite women’s sides.
For Malawi, ranked 153rd in the world and playing at WAFCON for the first time, the achievement is even more striking. The Scorchers have defeated Nigeria, Ghana and now Algeria en route to the final, becoming the first tournament debutants to reach the championship match since Zimbabwe in 2000. Temwa Chawinga’s goal in the semi-final took her tournament tally to four, giving her six goal involvements at the tournament, level with Zambia’s Barbra Banda for the most in the competition.
Both finalists had already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil by virtue of reaching the semi-finals, meaning Sunday’s final is purely a fight for continental glory.
Meanwhile, Algeria, despite the semi-final exit, leave the tournament with their own piece of history, having reached their first WAFCON semi-final and secured qualification for their first Women’s World Cup.
