DEFENDING champions Nigeria suffered a stunning 3-2 defeat to WAFCON debutants Malawi after dominating possession but failing to convert their chances in a dramatic encounter at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
News Point Nigeria Sport eports that despite controlling much of the game, the Super Falcons were punished by a ruthless Malawi side that scored three second-half goals against the run of play to record one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Malawi opened the scoring in the 69th minute through Temwa Chawinga before her sister, Tabitha Chawinga, doubled the advantage to hand the tournament debutants a remarkable 2-0 lead over the African champions.
Nigeria responded late in the contest when captain Rasheedat Ajibade converted a penalty in the 91st minute to reduce the deficit and set the stage for a dramatic finish.
However, Temwa Chawinga struck again deep into stoppage time to restore Malawi’s two-goal cushion and give the Scorchers a commanding 3-1 advantage.
The Super Falcons continued to press forward and were rewarded with another late goal from Uchenna Kanu, but it proved insufficient as Malawi held on to secure a memorable 3-2 victory.
The result marked the first time the defending champions had lost to a tournament debutant in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
For Malawi, the historic victory significantly boosted their hopes of qualifying for the next round of the competition.
Nigeria will now seek to bounce back when they face Zambia in their next group match on Saturday.
The Copper Queens head into the encounter in formidable form after thrashing Egypt 6-0 in their opening fxture, setting up what promises to be a highly anticipated clash against the Super Falcons.
The ten-time African champions had defeated Zambia 5-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, adding further intrigue to Saturday’s encounter.
