Malawi beats Ghana, Cameroon stuns Nigeria to reach WAFCON semis

Malawi stunned Ghana 2-1 in Rabat on Sunday to reach the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations semifinals and secure a first-ever spot at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The victory came from behind after Malawi trailed early in the quarterfinal at the ongoing WAFCON in Morocco. Goals from Temwa Chawinga and Rose Kadzere overturned Ghana’s initial lead, with Kadzere’s finish in the 79th minute sealing a historic result. Ghana pushed hard in the closing minutes but failed to equalize, ending their campaign and handing Malawi a place in Wednesday’s semifinals.

The win caps a remarkable run for Malawi, who entered the tournament ranked 153rd in the world and had never qualified for WAFCON before. Their journey began with a shock 1-0 victory over Nigeria, followed by a draw with Zambia and a win over Egypt that saw them top their group on goal difference. Ghana, by contrast, were ranked 62 places higher and had reached the WAFCON final three times. Yet their quarterfinal performance grew increasingly desperate, and Malawi’s disciplined defense and clinical finishing proved decisive.

Earlier, Cameroon pulled off an even bigger upset by beating defending WAFCON champions Nigeria 1-0 in Casablanca. 19-year-old Myriam Nyadjou scored the only goal in the 19th minute, curling a free kick past goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. Nigeria dominated the second half, forcing several saves from Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, but their late pressure yielded nothing. Asisat Oshoala, a six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year, came on as a substitute but could not change the outcome. Cameroon’s celebration was emotional, marking just their second win over Nigeria in 14 WAFCON meetings.

Both Malawi and Cameroon now face crucial semifinals on Wednesday, with Algeria and host nation Morocco standing in their way. None of the four teams has ever won WAFCON, and each semifinal win will secure direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup. The losing quarterfinalists will still have a path through playoffs, but the stakes are clear: only two more wins stand between these underdogs and a historic first appearance on the global stage.