Nigeria’s quest for a record-extending 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title suffered a major setback on Tuesday as tournament debutants Malawi stunned the defending champions 3-2 in their Group C opener in Rabat, Morocco.

The Scorchers produced one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history, defeating Africa’s most successful women’s national team in their first-ever WAFCON appearance.

Despite dominating possession and creating the better chances, the Super Falcons failed to make their superiority count and were punished by a clinical Malawi side in the second half.

After a goalless opening 45 minutes, Nigeria introduced Toni Payne in the 55th minute in place of Folashade Ijamilusi in a bid to break the deadlock.

However, it was Malawi who struck first in the 69th minute when Temwa Chawinga fired past goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to score her country’s first-ever WAFCON goal.

The debutants doubled their advantage 10 minutes later as captain Tabitha Chawinga found the net to leave the defending champions with a daunting task.

Nigeria pulled one back in the second minute of stoppage time after captain Rasheedat Ajibade calmly converted from the penalty spot, briefly raising hopes of a dramatic comeback.

Those hopes were quickly dashed when Temwa Chawinga grabbed her second goal of the match three minutes later to restore Malawi’s two-goal cushion.

Substitute Uchenna Kanu reduced the deficit again in the ninth minute of added time, but there was no time left for Nigeria to find an equaliser as Malawi held on for a famous 3-2 victory.

The result marked the first time a defending WAFCON champion had lost to a tournament debutant and significantly boosted Malawi’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Speaking before the match, Malawi coach Lovemore Fazili had expressed confidence in his team’s ability to upset the favourites.

“Getting this far means that we are ready for this match. People may underestimate us, but we are a good team, capable of causing an upset. We are not resigned victims,” he said.

Captain Tabitha Chawinga also insisted her side would not be intimidated by Nigeria’s reputation.

“It was my dream to play in the WAFCON. The time has come. We know Nigeria’s worth. They are a great nation, but we must focus on ourselves. Our players need to compete without any inferiority complex,” she said.

Nigeria will now look to recover when they face Zambia in their second Group C match on Saturday. The Copper Queens opened their campaign with a commanding 6-0 victory over Egypt, setting up a crucial encounter for the Super Falcons.

For Malawi, the memorable victory represents a dream start to their maiden WAFCON campaign and puts them in a strong position to qualify for the quarter-finals.