Chawinga aims for upset against Falcons in WAFCON opener

Malawi striker Temwa Chawinga has sent a message to Nigeria. She says the Super Falcons should expect a tough match when Malawi makes their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations debut against them in Rabat today.

This is Malawi’s first time at this tournament. They are in Group C with Nigeria, Zambia, and Egypt. Chawinga hopes to start their campaign with a big win against the Super Falcons.

“To beat the defending champions would mean a lot to us,” Chawinga said to ESPN. “It’s our first game, so it would boost our morale and give us confidence and motivation to do even better. Because if you start well by winning your first game, a game against a team like Nigeria, the team starts believing, ‘Okay, we can do this.’”

Chawinga and her sister Tabitha, who is Malawi’s all-time leading goalscorer, have been in the spotlight. But the younger Chawinga believes Malawi's strength goes beyond them. She warns Nigeria not to ignore the rest of the squad.

“They know me and Tabitha. But they don’t know our other players or the way we play. If they focus on us, we have other players who can do the job.”

Even though many see them as underdogs, Chawinga says Malawi is aiming higher than just a good showing in Morocco. She revealed that qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup is one of their goals.

“It’s true we might be underdogs, but everyone knows we need to work hard to achieve everything,” she said. “If we could qualify for this tournament, we can go to the World Cup. We’re not just going there to participate. We’re going there to compete.”

After their match against Nigeria, Malawi will play Egypt on Saturday. They will finish their Group C matches against Zambia four days later.

The top four teams at this WAFCON will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. One more nation can qualify through intercontinental play-offs. This gives Malawi extra motivation as they start their first continental campaign.