* Whatever happens in the WAfCON Morocco 2026 final, Malawi have already changed expectations
* They have shown that football potential is not confined to the best resourced systems
* And that investment in women’s football can unlock extraordinary national and continental impact
By Duncan Mlanjira
From never having qualified for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) to reaching the continental final and securing a first-ever place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027, all in one extraordinary debut tournament, Malawi Scorchers “are rewriting African and global football history”.
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This is an analysis that UK-based sports expert Alberto Braibanti posted on his LinkedIn account, saying, “the Scorchers journey at the WAfCON 2026 has been remarkable”:
* A historic first qualification for Africa’s premier women’s competition;
* A 2-1 win over defending champions and 10-time winners Nigeria;
* A 2-1 quarterfinal win against Ghana, confirming qualification for Brazil 2027;
* A commanding 3-1 semifinal victory over Algeria; and
* A first WAfCON final, against Cameroon on Sunday
“The scale of this achievement becomes even clearer when we consider the structural differences within African football,” says Braibanti, who has built a premium consulting first on more that a decade of experience across hospitality, luxury fine-dining, sports environment and applied research in good systems and performance nutrition —combining Michelin-trained expertise with sports well-being research.
“Established West African powers such as Nigeria and Ghana brought decades of tournament experience, deeper player pools and more players exposed to fully professional club environments.
Many benefit from advanced strength and conditioning, sports medicine, nutrition, recovery, performance analysis and high-quality facilities and resources that can shape preparation, availability and performance long before matchday.
“Malawi is not without world-class quality. Tabitha Chawinga has excelled in Europe, while Temwa has become a major force in the United States.
“But two exceptional players do not erase the wider differences in infrastructure, pathway depth and access to high-performance support.
“That is what makes Malawi’s collective achievement so powerful: tactical discipline, courage, togetherness and decisive execution have enabled the team to outperform countries with longer histories and, in many cases, stronger football ecosystems.
“Whatever happens in the WAfCON Morocco 2026 final, Malawi have already changed expectations.
“They have shown that football potential is not confined to the best resourced systems and that investment in women’s football can unlock extraordinary national and continental impact.
“Congratulations to the players, coaching staff, Football Association of Malawi and everyone contributing to this historic journey,” concludes Braibanti, who leverages performances, sustainability and customer experience through evidence-based, commercially grounded solutions.
Out of the powerhouses, who were favoured to at least reach the semifinals and qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027, the Scorchers join Morocco, Algeria and Cameroon.
South Africa and Ghana kept their hopes alive by winning the play-offs to compete at the inter-confederation play-offs.
Nigeria got defeated by South Africa while Ghana beat Côte d’Ivoire with Zambia exiting at the group phase — again Malawi Scorchers playing a hand.
For the hosts, who lost to Nigeria in the final of the last edition they also hosted, they are now focusing on the bronze medal when they will play in third place play-off tomorrow against fierce rivals and neighbours, Algeria.
Group stage results, standings and knockout stage fixtures (kick-off times CAT beamed live on SuperSport live on DStv Channel 225 (https://dstv.stream) and on GOtv Channel 61 (https://gotv.stream):
Group A
Algeria 2-0 Senegal
Morocco 4-0 Kenya
Senegal 1-0 Kenya
Morocco 1-0 Algeria
Senegal 0-0 Morocco
Kenya 0-2 Algeria
Group B
South Africa 1-2 Tanzania
Côte d’Ivoire 4-1 Burkina Faso
South Africa 2-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Burkina Faso 2-1 Tanzania
Burkina Faso 0-1 South Africa
Tanzania 1-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Group C
Zambia 6-0 Egypt
Nigeria 3-2 Malawi
Egypt 1-3 Malawi
Nigeria 1-0 Zambia
Egypt 2-6 Nigeria
Malawi 1-2 Zambia
Group D
Ghana 2-0 Cape Verde
Cameroon 2-1 Mali
Ghana 0-1 Cameroon
Mali 3-2 Cape Verde
Mali 1-1 Ghana
Cape Verde 1-1 Cameroon
Quarterfinals
Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Algeria
Morocco 2-1 South Africa
Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
Malawi 2-1 Ghana
Semifinals
Algeria 1-3 Malawi
Morocco 0(1) – 0(3) Cameroon
World Cup 2027 play-off matches
South Africa 2-1 Nigeria
Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Ghana
Third place play-off
Tomorrow, August 15
Algeria v Morocco (19h00)
WAfCON 2026 final
Sunday, August 16
Malawi v Cameroon (Moulay Hassan Stadium or Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, (21h00)
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