Malawi defeat Algeria to reach WAFCON final

Malawi defeat Algeria to reach the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final following a decisive 3-1 victory on Wednesday. The Scorchers completed an incredible Cinderella run to secure their first-ever appearance in the tournament's final matches during this edition.

How did Malawi beat Algeria in the semifinal?

Malawi beat Algeria 3-1 to secure their spot in the WAFCON final through a combination of clinical finishing and capitalizing on an early red card. Despite Algeria dominating possession for large portions of the match, the Scorchers remained disciplined to seal the win.

It was a game of two halves. Early on, Algeria looked like the superior side, controlling the tempo and making life difficult for the Malawian defense. However, the momentum shifted violently when Algeria’s Morgane Belkhiter was sent off early in the match.

Playing with ten women forced Algeria to sit deeper, even though they still controlled much of the play. This allowed the Scorchers to strike.

Malawi showed incredible composure to turn that numerical advantage into a commanding 3-1 victory. Wamma! To go from being under the cosh to walking into a final is nothing short of magic.

The Scorchers' WAFCON 2026 journey

Malawi's path to the 2026 WAFCON final has been nothing short of a fairy tale. They have entered the tournament as outsiders but have emerged as the most talked-about side of the competition.

Key moments in their run include:

Securing a historic debut in the tournament final.
Overcoming Algeria in a high-stakes semifinal.
Capitalizing on disciplinary errors from major continental contenders.

Algeria will be left wondering how they lost control of the game after the dismissal of Belkhiter. Despite the red card, they held the larger part of the ball, but you cannot win trophies if you cannot finish your chances against a resilient Scorchers side.