Bandabets Malawi salutes Scorchers after 3-0 WAFCON 2026 final

Bandabets Malawi has congratulated Malawi’s Scorchers after their historic Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign ended with a 3-0 defeat to Cameroon in the final. The result left Malawi with the silver medal, while the team also secured the country’s first qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The 2026 WAFCON in Morocco was Malawi’s first appearance at the continental finals. The Scorchers made an immediate impression by beating record champions Nigeria 3-2 in their opening Group C match. Temwa Chawinga scored twice and Tabitha Chawinga added the other goal.

Malawi followed that result with another strong display against Egypt before losing to Zambia later in the group stage. The earlier results were enough to take the debutants into the knockout rounds, where their pace, discipline and attacking threat continued to trouble established opponents.

Their quarter-final against Ghana produced another decisive moment. Malawi recovered from falling behind to win 2-1, with Rose Kadzere scoring the second-half goal that sent the team into the semi-finals. That victory also confirmed Malawi’s place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the first such qualification in the women’s team’s history.

The Scorchers then defeated Algeria 3-1 in the semi-final to reach their first WAFCON final. Tabitha scored twice and Temwa added the other goal. Temwa finished the tournament with five goals and took the Golden Boot, while the sisters became prominent figures in Malawi’s breakthrough run.

Although Cameroon’s final victory denied Malawi the trophy, the campaign established the Scorchers as continental runners-up and World Cup qualifiers. The achievement has also strengthened the case for continued investment in women’s football, including youth competitions, facilities and more competitive opportunities. It has given young girls in Malawi new national role models and created wider pride around the women’s game.

Bandabets Malawi’s tribute recognised the players, head coach Lovemore Fazili, the technical team and everyone involved in the campaign. The Scorchers now move forward from their debut WAFCON with a silver medal, a Golden Boot winner and a place at Brazil 2027.