Malawi target first WAFCON 2026 crown after reaching historic final

Malawi will face Cameroon in the WAFCON 2026 final on Sunday, with coach Lovemore Fazili saying the Scorchers are targeting the trophy. Their run includes a 3-2 group-stage win over defending champions Nigeria, a result that helped Malawi finish first in their pool.

The final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat will produce a first-time WAFCON champion. Neither Malawi nor Cameroon has previously won the continental women’s title, making the match a landmark occasion for both teams.

Malawi are appearing in their first WAFCON final and have exceeded expectations during their debut campaign. Fazili believes that achievement should not reduce his players’ ambition, despite Cameroon having greater experience of major tournament football.

The coach has stressed that Malawi respect their opponents but will approach the match as contenders rather than outsiders. His message to the team is that reaching the final is not the end goal and that the Scorchers must compete for the championship.

Malawi’s progress has already secured a place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. That makes the team only the second Malawi national side, across men’s and women’s football at any age level, to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.

The only previous Malawi team to reach a FIFA World Cup was the men’s under-17 side at the 2009 tournament. A victory over Cameroon would add the country’s first senior women’s continental title to that historic qualification and complete Malawi’s breakthrough campaign.