Rank outsiders Malawi qualified for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals and the World Cup by coming from behind to beat Ghana 2-1 in Morocco on Sunday.
Key Factors
Ghana had been WAFCON runners-up three times and are ranked 62 places above Malawi, but the longer the quarter-final progressed, the likelier a shock result became. Earlier in Casablanca, Myriam Nyadjou scored from a free-kick to give Cameroon a surprise 1-0 quarter-final victory over defending champions Nigeria. None of the teams have previously won the WAFCON.
Rattled Ghana forced late pressure, but never seriously threatened to equalise in the WAFCON quarter-final.
Malawi were dismissed as no-hopers before the WAFCON as they are ranked 153rd in the world and had never before qualified for the marquee African women’s football tournament. In the semi-finals on Wednesday, Malawi will face Algeria in Casablanca after hosts Morocco tackle Cameroon in Rabat.
