Malawi qualify for World Cup after 2-1 win over Ghana

Malawi secured their place at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup with a 2-1 comeback victory against Ghana in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. Temwa Chawinga and Rose Kadzere provided the goals to ensure the Scorchers progressed to the semi-finals in Morocco.

Ghana took an early lead in the seventh minute through Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah. Malawi responded quickly, with Chawinga scoring just five minutes later to level the match. The game remained tied until the 79th minute when Rose Kadzere scored the winning goal to complete the turnaround.

This result marks a historic milestone for Malawian football. The Scorchers become the first Malawian senior national team, in either the men's or women's game, to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. Having entered WAFCON 2026 as debutants, Malawi have exceeded expectations by reaching the final four.

Temwa Chawinga, who plays for the Kansas City Current in the United States, brought her clinical scoring to the national side. The forward has previously won consecutive NWSL MVP and Golden Boot awards in 2024 and 2025. She also holds the record for the most NWSL Player of the Month awards with five.

Chawinga was not the only standout performer for Malawi, as her sister Tabitha Chawinga has also been a key part of the team's attacking force. The duo's experience playing at a high level in the US has been central to the team's success during this tournament.

Malawi will now face Algeria in the semi-finals. Both teams have already secured qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. While Malawi entered the tournament as underdogs in a group containing Nigeria and Zambia, they have now achieved their primary objective of World Cup qualification.