Nigeria, South Africa Lead Ten Nations into 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations

Posted : 29 October 2025

Defending champions Nigeria and 2022 winners South Africa headline the list of ten countries that secured qualification for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Former champions Nigeria and South Africa have booked their places at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), joining eight other nations that confirmed qualification on Tuesday. The upcoming edition will be hosted by Morocco in March 2026, just nine months after the last finals.

Defending champions Nigeria faced a tough challenge in their qualifier against Benin, managing only a 1-1 draw in Abeokuta. However, the Super Falcons advanced 3-1 on aggregate thanks to their first-leg victory away from home. Ashleigh Plumptre opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 12th minute with her first-ever international goal, but Yasminath Djibril equalized for Benin in the second half to earn her side a morale-boosting draw.

South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, meanwhile, clinched their spot with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo in Soweto. Returning star Thembi Kgatlana, who missed the last tournament through injury, scored the decisive late goal to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory for the reigning 2022 champions.

The qualifiers also produced historic moments for debutants. Cape Verde and Malawi both made history by qualifying for their first-ever WAFCON finals. Cape Verde bounced back from a 1-0 home defeat to Mali by securing a stunning 4-2 away win in Bamako, surging into a 3-0 lead by halftime against last year’s quarterfinalists. Malawi, led by star forward Tabitha Chawinga, defeated Angola 2-0 in Blantyre, with Faith Chimzimu scoring both goals to complete their fairytale qualification.

Elsewhere, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Tanzania also confirmed their places, while Zambia had already booked qualification over the weekend after overcoming Namibia.

In one of the biggest surprises of the round, Algeria eliminated Cameroon, who have been four-time WAFCON runners-up. Algeria held a slim 2-1 advantage from the first leg and then secured a 1-0 win in Douala, thanks to a deflected strike from Marine Dafeur in the 24th minute. The result means Cameroon will miss a second consecutive WAFCON finals.

The 2026 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will feature 12 teams and will also serve as the African qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria, South Africa Lead Ten Nations into 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations

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