Scorchers' Fairytale Run Ends in 3-0 Final Defeat - - but Brazil World Cup Awaits

Malawi/Cameroon: Scorchers' Fairytale Run Ends in 3-0 Final Defeat - - but Brazil World Cup Awaits Debutant Scorchers outclassed by clinical Indomitable Lionesses despite fairytale run -- as nation showers team with pride and Brazil World Cup dream becomes reality Malawi's history-making Scorchers were brought crashing back down to earth on Sunday night, thrashed 3-0 by a ruthless Cameroon side in the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations -- but nothing can take the shine off a tournament that has captured the heart of an entire nation. The debutants, who arrived in Morocco as the lowest-ranked side in the competition, simply couldn't live with a battle-hardened Cameroon outfit who tore into them from the opening exchanges. The Indomitable Lionesses drew first blood after just 20 minutes, when Yvana Makana's dangerous cross was spilled by goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo, allowing Marie Nga Manga to nod home from close range. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines Ten minutes later, disaster struck again for the Scorchers, as Naomie Eto lashed home a stunning first-time volley from a corner to double Cameroon's advantage. And Malawi's misery was compounded deep into first-half stoppage time, when Eto coolly rounded a stranded Sikelo and squared for Nga Manga to grab her second of the night, sending Cameroon in at the break 3-0 to the good and the final all but over as a contest. To their credit, the Scorchers refused to throw in the towel -- roaring back in the second half and forcing a string of impressive saves out of Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, even if the goals wouldn't come. But despite the crushing scoreline, there will be no shortage of heroes' welcomes awaiting the team when they touch down back home -- after a tournament run that has already gone down as the greatest in Malawian football history. The Scorchers stunned the continent by beating defending champions Nigeria 3-2 in their opening match, before seeing off Egypt 3-1 and suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Zambia in the group stage. They then blew past Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals and thrashed Algeria 3-1 in the semis to book their extraordinary place in the final. And crucially, their remarkable runners-up finish has sealed Malawi's qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil -- a historic first for the nation. There's a financial reward too, with the Scorchers pocketing a cool $750,000 for their runners-up finish, while champions Cameroon walk away with a whopping $2 million. Read the original article on Nyasa Times. Monique Ngock's Rise and Rise At Wafcon 2026 Indomitable Queens - Cameroon Maul Malawi to Claim Historic First Wafcon Crown World Cup West Africa Southern Africa Sport Soccer Malawi Cameroon Central Africa AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us. AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Support our work Sign up for our newsletter For Advertisers Subscribe © 2026 AllAfrica Privacy Policy Contact Us About Us Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.