Nigeria dominated play but failed to score. Against the run of play, Malawi scored three times in the second half to stun Nigeria at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
Temwa Chawinga netted first in the 69th minute before her sister Tabitha Chawinga added the second as the debutants took a remarkable 2-0 lead against the champions. Nigeria fought back and scored through a Rasheedat Ajibade penalty in the 91st minute, setting the stage for an epic finale.
Temwa then scored again deep into stoppage time to give Malawi a 3-1 advantage. Nigeria pushed on and got a late goal from Uchenna Kanu. That goal was, however, not enough for the Super Falcons to complete the comeback.
This was the first time the defending champions had lost to a debutant at WAFCON. Victory for the Scorchers is historic and sets them on the path to qualification for the next round.
Nigeria will look to bounce back when they take on Zambia in their next game on Saturday. The Copper Queens humiliated Egypt 6-0 in their first match, making the tie with the Super Falcons one to look out for. The ten-time African champions crushed Zambia 5-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2024 WAFCON.
