Banda, Chawinga Set Early Pace in WAFCON 2026 Golden Boot Race

By Dorcas Francis Koji

Zambia captain Barbra Banda and Malawi forward Temwa Chawinga have established themselves as the leading contenders for the Golden Boot at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco after delivering outstanding performances during the opening round of group-stage matches.

Banda currently tops the tournament’s scoring chart with four goals and one assist following her remarkable display in Zambia’s emphatic 6-0 victory over Egypt in their Group C opener at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.

The Orlando Pride striker played a decisive role in almost every goal scored by the Copper Queens. She first won the penalty that allowed Racheal Nachula to give Zambia the lead before taking centre stage in the second half. Banda converted a penalty in the 60th minute, headed home three minutes later, completed her hat-trick from close range and added her fourth goal late in the game after finishing off an inviting cross from Racheal Kundananji. Eneless Phiri completed the rout with Zambia’s sixth goal in stoppage time.

Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga also made history by producing one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. The Kansas City Current forward scored a brilliant hat-trick to inspire the tournament debutants to a memorable 3-2 victory over 10-time champions Nigeria.

Chawinga opened the scoring with Malawi’s first-ever goal at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations before completing her treble with a dramatic stoppage-time winner that sealed a famous victory for the Scorchers.

Despite leading the Golden Boot race, neither Banda nor Chawinga found the back of the net in their respective second group matches, leaving the race for the tournament’s top scorer still wide open.

Cameroon’s Marie Ngah Manga has also emerged as an early contender after scoring three goals in the opening fixtures, placing her just behind the leading pair.

Elsewhere in the competition, hosts Morocco became the first nation to secure qualification for the quarter-finals after recording consecutive victories in Group A. The Atlas Lionesses defeated Kenya 4-0 before edging Algeria 1-0, maintaining a perfect defensive record without conceding a goal.

Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak remains in pursuit of a third consecutive Golden Boot award as she continues to lead her country’s quest for a first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title after finishing runners-up in the previous two editions.

The record for the highest number of goals scored by a player at a single Women’s Africa Cup of Nations remains Nigeria legend Perpetua Nkwocha’s remarkable tally of 11 goals, achieved during the 2010 tournament—a record that has stood unchallenged for 16 years.