The sisters writing Malawi into history

What the Chawinga sisters just did

Tabitha Chawinga scored twice and Temwa Chawinga added a third — every single goal in a 3-1 win over Algeria, in a semi-final, at a debut WAFCON campaign. That sentence needs a moment to settle.

Malawi had never been to a Women's Africa Cup of Nations final before Tuesday. They arrived at this tournament as first-timers, with no blueprint and no expectation. What they had was the Chawinga sisters, and it turns out that was enough.

A sibling act like no other

Tabitha and Temwa have been among the most recognisable names in women's club football for years — Tabitha at Inter Milan in Serie A Femminile, Temwa with a career that has taken her across Europe. But representing Malawi on the international stage is a different kind of pressure, and Tuesday's semi-final was the biggest stage either of them had stood on in a national shirt.

They didn't blink. Tabitha's brace did the structural damage; Temwa's goal put the result beyond any doubt. Algeria pulled one back, but Malawi were never in genuine danger of letting this slip.

The two of them didn't celebrate together after the final whistle. They just held each other.

What this means for Malawi

This is a country of 20 million people whose women's team had never reached a continental final. One debut tournament run, powered almost entirely by a sibling partnership, has changed that permanently. Whatever happens in the final, Malawi are WAFCON finalists — and that fact belongs to them forever.

According to ESPN and BBC Sport, the result confirms Malawi's place in the WAFCON 2026 final. Their opponents will be confirmed from the other semi-final. The Chawinga sisters will be there, ready to do it again.