Malawi Upsets Defending Champions Nigeria 3-2 in WAFCON 2026 Opener
In the opening Group C match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, debutants Malawi defeated defending champions Nigeria 3‑2 at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. Temwa Chawinga opened the scoring in the 73rd minute and added a second goal in stoppage time, while her sister Tabitha Chawinga contributed the other Malawi goal. Nigeria’s late fight produced a Rasheedat Ajibade penalty and a Uchenna Kanu strike, but they were insufficient to equalise. The win marks Malawi’s first ever victory in the tournament and the first time Nigeria have lost to a debutant nation in WAFCON history, delivering one of the biggest upsets of the competition. The result puts Malawi in second place in Group C with three points and forces Nigeria to regroup ahead of a must‑win clash with Zambia, while fellow Group C rivals Zambia celebrated a 6‑0 rout of Egypt on the same day.
Entities: Al Madina Stadium, Rabat · Lovemore Fazili · Malawi women’s national football team (Scorchers) · Nigeria women’s national football team (Super Falcons) · Rasheedat Ajibade · Tabitha Chawinga · Temwa Chawinga · Uchenna Kanu
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 21 SOURCES] Temwa Chawinga scored a hat‑trick for Malawi in the match. (multiple match reports)
- [● 26 SOURCES] Malawi defeated Nigeria 3-2 in the opening Group C match of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. (existing)
- [● 26 SOURCES] Tabitha Chawinga scored one goal for Malawi in the match. (existing)
- [● 26 SOURCES] The defeat was Nigeria’s first loss to a tournament debutant in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history. (existing)
- [● 26 SOURCES] Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade scored a penalty in stoppage time. (existing)
- [● 26 SOURCES] Nigeria’s Uchenna Kanu scored a late goal in added time. (existing)
- [● 26 SOURCES] The win was Malawi’s first ever victory in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history. (existing)
- [● 26 SOURCES] The match was played at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. (existing)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nigeria scored through Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu. (Rasheedat Ajibade, Uchenna Kanu)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Malawi defeated Nigeria in a Women's AFCON 2026 Group C match. (Malawi women's national football team, Nigeria women's national football team)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Temwa Chawinga scored for Malawi in the 73rd minute. (Temwa Chawinga scored for Malawi in the 73rd minute.)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Tabitha Chawinga scored for Malawi in the 79th minute. (Tabitha Chawinga scored for Malawi in the 79th minute.)