Malawi qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time after coming from behind to defeat Ghana 2-1 in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Morocco. Rose Kadzere scored the deciding goal in the 79th minute, securing both a semi-final place and Africa’s final automatic berth at the 2027 tournament in Brazil.

Ghana struck first in the seventh minute. Alice Kusi won possession on the right and delivered the move that ended with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah scoring with a right-footed volley. The advantage lasted only five minutes. Malawi captain Temwa Chawinga shot from the edge of the penalty area, and a deflection carried the effort beyond Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan.

The teams reached half-time level, but Ghana appeared to move ahead again in the 54th minute. Doris Boaduwaa met another delivery from Kusi, only for a video review to determine that Kusi had been offside during the buildup. The goal was disallowed.

Malawi then absorbed Ghanaian pressure and became more threatening later in the second half. With 11 minutes of regulation time remaining, Chawinga supplied Kadzere as the forward found room in Ghana’s defence. Kadzere advanced toward Konlan and finished past the oncoming goalkeeper for the winner. Ghana pressed during the closing stages but could not force extra time.

The result extended an unexpected run by a Malawi side ranked 153rd in the world before the tournament. The Scorchers entered as the lowest-ranked of the 16 qualifiers and had not previously reached a major tournament. During their WAFCON campaign they also defeated Nigeria and eliminated Zambia, establishing momentum before the Ghana quarter-final.

Qualification placed Malawi among the 32 teams due to contest 64 games across eight Brazilian host cities at the 2027 World Cup. It also meant that the team’s debut WAFCON appearance produced immediate passage to the global tournament. The achievement turned a single knockout victory into a landmark for the national programme.

Malawi’s next assignment was a semi-final against Algeria at Rabat’s Olympic Stadium on the following Wednesday. In the other half of the draw, host nation Morocco was scheduled to meet Cameroon, which had eliminated defending champion Nigeria 1-0.

The quarter-final was defined by Malawi’s response to an early setback. Chawinga’s equalizer quickly restored parity, the defence survived Ghana’s attempts to regain control, and Kadzere converted the late opening that decided the match. The 2-1 score carried the Scorchers beyond the continental last eight and confirmed a first appearance on women’s football’s biggest international stage.