Malawi target historic Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Algeria

The Malawi women’s team will attempt to reach the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final for the first time when they face Algeria in Wednesday’s semi-final at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17:00 GMT, with both teams preparing for a match that will create history whichever side prevails. Neither Malawi nor Algeria has previously reached this stage of the competition, making the semi-final an unprecedented meeting between two teams seeking their first final appearance.

Malawi have already made a major impact at their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. They began the tournament by defeating Nigeria’s Super Falcons, a result that helped them progress to the second round.

Their run continued in the quarter-finals, where they eliminated Ghana’s Black Queens. Malawi’s progress has been built around a collective approach, with the Chawinga sisters and a group of determined team-mates causing problems for every opponent they have faced.

Despite this being Malawi’s first appearance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, they have proved capable of competing with some of the continent’s established footballing nations. Their victories over Nigeria and Ghana have placed them within one match of a historic final.

Algeria have also enjoyed a campaign that has taken them beyond their previous achievements in the competition. The Vertes secured a win over Senegal in the group stage and then held Morocco to a draw before progressing to the semi-finals.

In the last eight, Algeria defeated Cote d’Ivoire to reach the final four. Until this tournament, reaching the quarter-finals represented the country’s best performance on the African stage. Their latest victory has already taken them beyond that mark, and a win against Malawi would take them into a first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final.

Marine Dafeur will be one of the Algeria players to watch in Rabat as the Vertes attempt to extend their historic campaign. Malawi, meanwhile, will look to the Chawinga sisters and the strength of their team unit as they pursue another upset.

The stakes extend beyond the semi-final itself. Both Malawi and Algeria have already secured qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, meaning their place at the global tournament is confirmed regardless of Wednesday’s result.

The match will therefore determine which of the two debut semi-finalists moves into the final, while guaranteeing that one side will reach a landmark achievement in its footballing history. For Malawi, victory would cap a remarkable first appearance in the competition with a place in the final. For Algeria, it would represent another step forward after surpassing their previous best performance.