The Super Falcons lost 2–3 to Malawi in their opening match of the 2026 WAFCON at the Al Madina Stadium, with the Scorchers grabbing the headlines after a famous victory over the 10‑time African champions.
Softfootball understands a brace from Temwa Chawinga and a goal from Tabitha Chawinga handed Malawi all three points in what will go down as one of the biggest results in the history of Malawi women’s football.
Nigeria tried to fight back late on. Rasheedat Ajibade converted a penalty, while Uchenna Kanu also scored, but the Falcons could not salvage a point as Malawi held firm with a disciplined and determined display.
Fans have heavily criticised Chiamaka Nnadozie, arguing that the goals conceded came from her poor positioning, repeatedly coming off her line and being caught out of her goalpost at crucial moments.
Overall, it was a very poor performance from the Super Falcons. Malawi exploited Nigeria’s defensive weaknesses and the poor tactical setup of the coach, using swift counter‑attacks to punish the team throughout the match.
The Chawinga sisters made it look too easy, causing problems from start to finish and fully capitalising on Nigeria’s defensive lapses.
