Malawi may have fallen short of the WAFCON title, but coach Lovemore Fazili insists there is little reason for his players to feel sorry for themselves after a historic campaign that has transformed the Scorchers’ standing in African women’s football.
Malawi’s remarkable run at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations ended with a 3-0 defeat to Cameroon in Sunday’s final in Rabat, with Marie Ngah Manga scoring twice and Naomi Eto also finding the net as the Indomitable Lionesses secured their first continental title.
The disappointment of losing the final cannot overshadow what Malawi achieved in their first appearance at the tournament.
The Scorchers had already defied expectations by progressing from Group C and then eliminating established African powers on their way to the final. Their victories over Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria helped establish Malawi as one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
“I’m not very sad because this is football, and considering where we came from, I am happy with the performance,” Fazili said.
Cameroon effectively settled the contest during a devastating first half. Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Eto doubled the advantage 10 minutes later, while Ngah struck again in first half stoppage time to give Cameroon an unassailable lead.
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Malawi responded more positively after the interval but could not find a way back into the contest, leaving Cameroon to celebrate a first WAFCON triumph after previous final defeats in 2004, 2014 and 2016.
Fazili, though, was already looking beyond the disappointment in Rabat and towards the opportunities created by Malawi’s extraordinary run.
“We have reached the final, and this is another token for us,” he said. “We have the World Cup ahead of us; we also have the Olympic Games ahead of us, so we are going to continue with our preparations, our training.”
The tournament has given Malawi more than a runners-up medal. Their run to the final also secured qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, providing the players with another opportunity to test themselves on the global stage.
Fazili believes the experience gained in Morocco will be crucial when Malawi take on the world’s best.
“I’m sure when we go to the World Cup, we will be a different team because we have gained experience through these matches,” he added.
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Captain Tabitha Chawinga echoed her coach’s belief that Malawi should leave the tournament with pride rather than regret.
The forward finished the competition with five goals and was recognised as the tournament’s leading scorer, while her performances helped drive Malawi through an unprecedented campaign.
“No one gave Malawi a chance to be in the final… but we made it to be in the final,” Chawinga said.
The captain also acknowledged Cameroon’s superiority on the night, while stressing the significance of what Malawi had achieved.
“I want to congratulate Cameroon because they deserved to win it,” she said.
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Malawi had entered the tournament as debutants yet became the first Southern African debutants to reach the WAFCON final. Their progress has also ensured that the Scorchers will arrive at the World Cup with considerably more international experience than they had before the tournament began.
The final exposed the gap that remains between the Scorchers and the continent’s emerging champions, but their journey to Rabat has already changed expectations around what Malawi can achieve.
And with a World Cup place secured and Olympic qualification now among their ambitions, Fazili believes the lessons from Morocco can become the foundation for an even stronger Malawi side.
