Malawi have reached their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final after defeating Algeria 3-1 in a thrilling semi-final in Rabat on Wednesday.
The Scorchers secured the historic victory at the Olympic Stadium in Morocco, continuing their remarkable run in their debut appearance at the continental tournament.
The match was a high-intensity contest, with both sides reduced to 10 players after receiving red cards during the first half.
The first dismissal came early in the game, before Algeria were also shown a red card roughly 20 minutes later as the physical battle intensified.
Despite playing with a reduced number of players, Malawi maintained their composure and eventually pulled away from their North African opponents to secure a 3-1 victory.
The result marks another landmark achievement for Malawi, who had already secured qualification for their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup after reaching the semi-finals.
CAF had noted ahead of the match that neither Malawi nor Algeria had previously reached a WAFCON final, meaning the winner would make history by becoming the seventh different nation to reach the final since the competition adopted its current format in 1998.
Malawi had reached the last four after defeating Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals, a result that also secured their place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Their victory over Algeria now takes their extraordinary debut campaign one step further, with the Scorchers set to contest their first continental final.
Vanguard News
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