Malawi Shock Defending Champions Nigeria in Five-Goal Thriller
Malawi pulled off one of the greatest upsets in African football history by defeating ten-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champions Nigeria 3-2 at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat. 
Entering their first-ever tournament appearance as massive underdogs, the Scorchers executed a flawless counter-attacking strategy to stun the reigning titleholders on opening night.
Justin Madugu’s heavily favored Super Falcons dominated possession early on but were repeatedly frustrated by a disciplined Malawian backline, leaving the match deadlocked at 0-0 heading into the halftime break.
The second half exploded into life when Malawi’s star forwards took center stage. Temwa Chawinga broke the deadlock in the 69th minute, and her sister Tabitha Chawinga doubled the debutants’ advantage just five minutes later with a clinical strike.
Refusing to go down without a fight, Nigeria’s captain Rasheedat Ajibade pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 91st minute.
However, Temwa Chawinga completed her brace deep into stoppage time (95′) to seal the historic victory, rendering Uchenna Kanu’s 98th-minute header a mere consolation for the shell-shocked giants.
This monumental result completely shakes up the dynamics of Group C. Malawi joins Zambia at the top of the standings with three points, while Nigeria sits uncharacteristically at the bottom alongside Egypt.
The Super Falcons must now regroup quickly ahead of a must-win, heavyweight showdown against a rampant Zambian side this Saturday.
