Malawi’s qualification for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final has become a reality thanks to the heroic performance of star Tabitha Chawinga and her sister Temwa, who led their national team to a well-deserved 3-1 victory over Algeria in the tournament’s semi-final held in Morocco.
This victory places the Malawi women’s team in an excellent position to compete for the continental title and guarantees them a spot in the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The match witnessed dramatic events and many twists. After just 23 minutes, Algeria suffered a severe blow as their player Morgan Belkiter was sent off following a strong tackle on Tabitha Chawinga.
Taking advantage of the numerical superiority, Tabitha, a Lyon player in France, scored the opening goal for Malawi in the 33rd minute with a powerful shot that hit the crossbar before settling into the net.
Before the end of the first half, her sister Temwa, a current Kansas City attacker in the US, added the second goal with a superb individual skill, ending the first half with Malawi leading 2-0.
The second half was no less thrilling. Shortly after it began, Malawi’s Rose Kadziri was sent off, restoring numerical balance to ten players per side.
Ikram Ajabi managed to reduce the deficit for Algeria in the 60th minute, reigniting hope for her national team. However, Tabitha Chawinga’s brilliance settled matters again when she scored her second and Malawi’s third goal in the 76th minute, confirming Malawi’s dominance and securing their place in the final of the Cup of Nations.
With this win, Malawi awaits the winner of the Cameroon vs. Morocco match in the final scheduled for next Sunday.
It is worth mentioning that the four teams that reached the semi-finals have already secured their qualification for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year, marking a historic achievement for women’s football in Malawi and Algeria.
