Malawi are one win away from qualifying for their first-ever Women’s World Cup. Let that sink in.
Wednesday’s match featured Women’s Africa Cup of Nations debutantes Malawi against a veteran Zambian squad led by world superstar Barbra Banda. Malawi shocked viewers in their previous two matches, having taken down juggernauts Nigeria 3-2 in their thriller of a first match and handily beaten Egypt 3-1 in their second.
While many thought Malawi would make a splash in their first WAFCON, the Scorchers arguably faced the strongest group of the tournament.
Malawi’s success is largely propelled by a sister duo: Temwa Chawinga and captain Tabitha Chawinga. NWSL fans will be familiar with Temwa, forward for the Kansas City Current, two-time Golden Boot winner, and two-time NWSL MVP. Tabitha plays for OL Lyonnes and was key in their recent Champions League and domestic league campaigns.
Ted Lasso fans may also recognize Temwa from her recent goal-scoring feature in the Season 4 premiere of the Apple TV show.
Temwa has been an inspiration for NWSL fans and aspiring young soccer players in her home country alike. She has spoken about the difficulty for girls and women to play soccer in Malawi, as both sisters have faced a mountain of adversity in their football journey.
The Kansas City Current shared this quote from their star striker on social media:
“Our mum did not allow us to play, but we didn’t listen. It is amazing that a lot of young girls in Africa, in Malawi, look up to me. I want to tell them that they should work hard and do not give up on their dreams.”
However, the sisters are quick to share the success of their team with their fellow talented players. In an interview with Forbes, Tabitha credited the Scorchers’ success to teamwork and mentality.
“It is 11 versus 11. On our own, we cannot do anything. We have a goalkeeper, a defence, midfielders and I am a striker, and everybody has to do their job well. That is how you win. It is not just about one or two players, it is everybody who needs to perform. It is all about teamwork. That is how you win games. And we also need a great team spirit and a belief that we can win.”
Yet standing in the way of a fairytale WAFCON story was Barbara Banda and the Zambian women’s squad. Banda, who leads this year’s NWSL Golden Boot race with 12 goals, also led the WAFCON Golden Boot race with four goals prior to Wednesday’s match.
This is how it went down.
Zambia got off to a strong start, with star forward and captain Barbara Banda shooting a powerful shot from the left wing that was too much for Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo to handle. Despite getting her hands on the ball, the ball bounced behind her and over the line, putting the Copper Queens up in only the second minute.
Despite many good chances from the Chawinga sisters, Malawi was unable to respond to Zambia’s strong start. Near the closing of the second half, Zambian defender Margaret Belemu dribbled to the goal line, beating her defender and sending a beautiful ball into the box, which found the feet of ACFC winger Prisca Chilufya and into the back of the net.
Zambia came out of halftime with lots of momentum, yet were unable to capitalize. Malawi gained back some energy in the seventieth minute, with a free kick and a corner, neither of which resulted in a goal. But, two minutes later, Tabitha Chawinga scored on a beautiful individual effort, dribbling around her defender and finding the near post of Zambian goalkeeper Hazel Mali.
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The Copper Queens can credit Hazel Mali with saving them a couple of times near the second half, when Malawi had numerous dangerous chances.
The end of the game and what followed was nervy, tense and confusing. As the scores stood, three groups in Group C (Nigeria, Zambia, and Malawi) all tied for points in the group. The teams also shared the same goal differential in the group stage matches against each other.
Thus, much to the confusion of the soccer community, advancement was then determined by the number of goals scored in the head-to-head games against each other. Malawi had scored four goals against the other two teams, Nigeria three goals, and Zambia two goals.
And so, despite losing to Zambia, Malawi advanced to their first WAFCON knockout stage, only one game away from qualifying for their first Women’s World Cup. Nigeria advanced as well, leaving Zambia knocked out of the tournament despite their fiercely fought win against Malawi.
In failing to advance, the Copper Queens lost their chance to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup after debuting at the tournament in 2023. Despite an earlier-than-planned exit, Banda and the Copper Queens can leave proud of how they performed in their third WAFCON.
Looking ahead, the teams are not only vying to be the champions of the continent. The top four finishers of the tournament automatically earn their spot in next summer’s Women’s World Cup, while the quarterfinal losers face off in a series of games to determine qualification.
Next up, Malawi will face the second-place finisher from Group D, depending on the results of Thursday’s matches between Ghana, Mali, Cape Verde, and Cameroon. The African side will look to continue the celebrations and build upon their awe-inspiring success thus far.
Meanwhile, can host nation Morocco capitalize on home-field advantage and take the win? And will Nigeria bounce back from their first-round loss?
Unsure of how to watch? Catch all the action on BeIN Sports in the U.S.
