Arabic version: مالاوي تحتفل ببلوغ نهائي تاريخي لكأس أمم أفريقيا للسيدات

According to Allafrica, Malawi’s women’s national football team reached its first-ever TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON final after a 3-1 semi-final victory over Algeria in Rabat. Sports Minister Alfred Gangata joined the Scorchers’ dressing-room celebrations, alongside Football Association of Malawi president Fleetwood Haiya.

Gangata and Haiya were reported to have danced and sung in a circle as praise and worship songs filled the dressing room. Gangata later picked up a speaker and danced to the chant “kuzapita kuzapita, kuzabwelera mbuyo”, a song commonly sung by Malawian supporters.

Head coach Lovemore Fazili and deputy coach Maggie Chombo also took part in the celebrations. The team’s run in Morocco has secured Malawi a place at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, following its progress to the semi-finals.

The Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, combined for all three goals against Algeria. They have scored eight of Malawi’s 12 goals at the tournament, with Temwa scoring five and Tabitha three.

Malawi entered the expanded 16-team tournament ranked 153rd in the world and as the lowest-ranked qualifying side. Excluding the inaugural 1998 edition, the Scorchers are the first debutant nation to reach a WAFCON final.