The result sends the WAFCON debutants into the semi-finals and, in the process, secures Malawi a historic place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Malawi’s victory comes as a remarkable turnaround from their pre-tournament meeting with Ghana. The two sides faced each other in a friendly just weeks before the competition, with the Black Queens cruising to a 4-0 victory.
But the Scorchers showed that they were a very different side when the stakes were much higher, having topped a difficult Group C that also featured Nigeria, Zambia and Egypt.
Ghana make flying start
Ghana got off to the perfect start when Chantelle Boye Hlorkah opened the scoring after just seven minutes.
The forward produced a fine volley to put Kim Lars Björkegren’s side in front and appeared to give the Black Queens early control of the quarter-final.
Malawi, however, responded almost immediately.
Just five minutes after going behind, Tenwa Chawinga’s effort took a deflection and found its way into the Ghanaian net to restore parity and give the Scorchers renewed confidence.
Neither side managed to create many clear-cut opportunities for the remainder of the first half, with the teams going into the break level at 1-1.
VAR denies Ghana as Malawi grow stronger
Ghana began the second half with greater attacking intent and thought they had regained the lead when Doris Boaduwaa headed Alice Kusi’s cross into an empty net.
Their celebrations were short-lived, however, as VAR intervened and the goal was ruled out for offside.
The decision kept Malawi in the contest, and the match remained finely balanced as both teams looked for the breakthrough.
With around 20 minutes remaining, the Scorchers began to take control of the game and created the more promising opportunities as Ghana struggled to regain the momentum they had enjoyed earlier in the second half.
Kadzere delivers historic moment
Just when the match appeared destined for extra time, Malawi found their decisive moment.
Rose Kadzere picked up the ball inside the box and calmly slotted her effort past the onrushing Cynthia Konlan, giving Malawi a 2-1 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Ghana pushed for an equaliser, but the Scorchers held firm to complete a memorable victory.
The result sends Malawi into the WAFCON semi-finals at their first appearance in the tournament and also guarantees their qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
It is a landmark achievement for Malawi, who have now gone from WAFCON debutants to one of the final four teams in the competition.
Malawi face Algeria next
The Scorchers will now face Algeria in the semi-finals, with a place in the WAFCON final at stake.
For Ghana, the defeat represents a major setback in their bid to return to the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2007.
The Black Queens, however, are not completely out of contention for a place at the 2027 global tournament.
Ghana will enter the African play-off, where they will face Côte d’Ivoire. The winner of that encounter will advance to the FIFA Women’s World Cup intercontinental play-offs, keeping Ghana’s hopes of returning to the global stage alive.