Egypt’s hopes of reaching the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup are officially over following a 3-1 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Because the WAFCON tournament also serves as the African qualifying route for the World Cup in Brazil, a deep run is required to secure a spot. The four semi-finalists earn automatic qualification, while the losing quarter-finalists enter an intercontinental play-off. By failing to advance past the group stage, Egypt’s path to the global stage has been cut short.
The Pharaohs entered the match needing a desperate turnaround after suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat to Zambia in their opening fixture. However, Malawi quickly took control. Rose Kabzere opened the scoring in the 31st minute, and Faith Chimzimu doubled the advantage just before halftime.
A window of opportunity opened for Egypt in the 52nd minute when Malawi’s Rose Alufandika was sent off with a red card. Despite being down to 10 players, Malawi absorbed the pressure and struck again. Star forward Temwa Chawinga found the back of the net in the 68th minute to make it 3-0.
Eman Hassan managed to score a consolation goal for Egypt two minutes later, but the team could not overcome the deficit. The defeat marks Egypt’s third group-stage exit in WAFCON history, following similar early departures in 1998 and 2016.