Chawinga sisters lead Malawi to historic WAFCON final

The Chawinga sisters have been the central figures in Malawi's historic run at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga both scored in the semi-final to secure a 3-1 victory over Algeria, ensuring the Scorchers reach their first-ever WAFCON final.

Tabitha opened the scoring for Malawi in the 33rd minute with a spectacular goal. Temwa doubled the lead before the halftime whistle by rounding the Algerian goalkeeper to finish into an empty net. Although Algeria scored in the second half, Tabitha secured the win with her second goal of the match in the 76th minute.

The sisters' impact follows a successful group stage where Malawi defeated defending champions Nigeria 3-2 and beat Egypt 3-1. They also progressed to the knockout stages after a 2-1 quarter-final win against Ghana, a result that also secured Malawi's first qualification for a FIFA Women’s World Cup. Malawi will now face Cameroon in the final.

Both players developed their skills in Rumphi, northern Malawi, playing with boys before joining DD Sunshine in Lilongwe. Tabitha's professional career included stints at Inter Milan, where she was the first African top scorer in Serie A, and Lyon in France. Temwa has played for Wuhan Jianghan University in China and Kansas City Current in the United States, where she earned the NWSL Golden Boot and MVP award.

Temwa has credited Tabitha for her professional opportunities in Europe. She noted that Tabitha personally funded her airfare and visa to Sweden after securing her a trial with a Swedish club. The sisters have now combined their international experience to drive the Malawi national team to the tournament final.