Malawi produced one of the biggest shocks in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history on Tuesday night, defeating defending champions Nigeria 3-2 in their WAFCON 2026 Group C opener at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.
Despite the Super Falcons fielding a strong lineup that featured nine players who started the 2024 WAFCON final, the Scorchers punished Nigeria’s defensive lapses with three second-half goals to secure the first WAFCON victory in the nation’s history.
The result puts Malawi on three points ahead of their next Group C fixture against Egypt on Saturday, while Nigeria head into a must-win encounter against Zambia after the Copper Queens opened their own campaign with an emphatic 6-0 victory.
Here are five major talking points from a result that will go down as one of the tournament’s greatest upsets.
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Uncharacteristic night for Chiamaka Nnadozie
Widely regarded as Africa’s finest goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie endured a rare off night between the posts for Nigeria.
The 25-year-old conceded only three goals throughout the entire 2024 WAFCON campaign, but equalled that tally in less than 30 minutes against Malawi.
Nnadozie showed her quality before the break with an excellent intervention to stop a dangerous counterattack, but her second-half display was far below her usual standards.
For Malawi’s opener, she rushed off her line in an attempt to close down Temwa Chawinga, only for the striker to chest the ball under control before calmly finishing into an empty net. Six minutes later, history repeated itself as Nnadozie was again beaten to the ball, allowing Tabitha Chawinga to poke home Malawi’s second.
Nnadozie’s positioning for Temwa Chawinga’s second goal also left much to be desired, but that resulted as much from Nigeria’s defensive shortcomings as it did from the forward’s clinical finishing. The Brighton goalkeeper will know she must quickly rediscover her best form as the tournament progresses.
Super Falcons’ defensive frailties exposed
Although Nigeria dominated possession for long periods, their defensive organisation repeatedly came under pressure from Malawi’s direct and pacey counterattacks.
The warning signs appeared early in the second half when Malawi had the ball in the net from a move almost identical to those that later produced their goals. Fortunately for Nigeria, that effort was ruled out for offside.
Rather than respond, the Super Falcons continued to leave space behind their backline. In the 73rd minute, Temwa Chawinga capitalised on another ball played into space to break the deadlock. Just six minutes later, Tabitha Chawinga punished another lapse in concentration to double Malawi’s advantage.
As Nigeria searched desperately for an equaliser, they were caught out once again by a long ball over the top, allowing Temwa Chawinga to complete her brace with a composed finish.
Whether the defensive issues stem from tactical organisation or individual errors, Nigeria will need to address them quickly before it costs them on a bigger stage.
Subdued atmosphere in the stands
Crowd attendance has been a recurring concern throughout the 2026 WAFCON, with several matches played in front of sparsely populated stands.
However, despite their small numbers, Malawi’s supporters created an energetic atmosphere, backing their team throughout the contest as they celebrated a historic victory.
The same could not be said for Nigeria, whose fan presence was relatively subdued despite the team’s status as defending champions. While a handful of supporters made themselves heard, the atmosphere never reached the level that could have inspired the players during difficult moments.
With another crucial fixture against Zambia approaching, stronger backing from the stands could provide the Super Falcons with an important psychological lift.
Chawinga sisters steal the spotlight
If there were any doubts about the quality of Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga before kickoff, those questions were emphatically answered on Tuesday night.
While Nigeria struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities, Malawi executed a clear game plan centred around the pace, movement and finishing ability of the Chawinga sisters.
Both forwards consistently found space behind Nigeria’s defence, using their speed and intelligent positioning to stretch the Super Falcons throughout the match.
Temwa’s opening goal highlighted her awareness, timing her run perfectly before racing beyond Nnadozie and keeping her composure to finish. Tabitha displayed similar instincts for the second, breaking between two defenders before reaching the ball ahead of the goalkeeper.
Temwa then completed the scoring with a composed lob after another swift counterattack, capping an outstanding individual display.
Their contributions carried even greater significance, helping Malawi secure the country’s first-ever victory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on their tournament debut.
Tactical questions for Justin Madugu
Nigeria head coach Justin Madugu is facing some scrutiny from supporters due to his team selection and tactical approach against Malawi.
Several positional decisions failed to produce the desired effect. Michelle Alozie, deployed at left-back instead of her more familiar right-back role, struggled throughout the contest. Chinwendu Ihezuo was largely ineffective on the wing, while Esther Okoronkwo, operating as the central striker, found it difficult to impose herself physically against Malawi’s defenders.
Despite dominating possession, the Super Falcons lacked creativity in open play and rarely tested goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo beyond routine saves. Their best opportunities came from set pieces, but they were unable to convert those moments into goals.
With Zambia awaiting in what has now become a pivotal Group C encounter, Madugu will need to find tactical solutions, improve the team’s defensive balance and inject greater attacking creativity if Nigeria are to keep their title defence on track.
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