WAFCON 2026: Africa To Get New Women’s Football Champions

A new Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champion is guaranteed to emerge in 2026 after the two most recent winners, Nigeria and South Africa, were knocked out in the quarter-finals.

The Super Falcons, who lifted the trophy in 2025 after the 2024 edition was postponed, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon on Sunday, ending their bid for a record-extending 11th continental title.

Myriam Wam’s 19th-minute free-kick proved decisive as Cameroon secured only their second victory over Nigeria in WAFCON history and booked their place in the last four.

South Africa had also fallen at the quarter-final stage after Morocco, the hosts, defeated them 2-1 in Rabat a day earlier.

The result means neither of the last two champions will feature in the semi-finals, while Equatorial Guinea, the only other country to have won the competition, have not qualified for the tournament since 2018.

For the first time since 2012, there will be no former WAFCON champion in the semi-finals.

Morocco now have the chance to win the title for the first time on home soil, with Algeria, Cameroon and Malawi also chasing their maiden continental crown.

The Super Falcons of Nigeria remain the most successful nation in the competition, having won 10 titles since the tournament began.

The Falcons claimed the first five editions between 1998 and 2006 before Equatorial Guinea ended their dominance in 2008.

Nigeria regained the trophy in 2010 but lost it to Equatorial Guinea two years later. They then won three successive editions in 2014, 2016 and 2018 before South Africa ended their long wait for the title in 2022.

The Falcons reclaimed the crown at the 2024 WAFCON, staged in 2025, coming from behind to defeat Morocco in the final and secure their record 10th title.

But the 2026 tournament will now produce a first-time winner, with Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and Malawi all seeking to write their names into WAFCON history.

The four semi-finalists will also secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria and South Africa will have another route to the World Cup when they meet in Casablanca on Thursday in a play-off involving the four quarter-final losers. Two teams from that play-off tournament will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Below are the 2026 WAFCON Semi-finals Fixtures:

Algeria vs. Malawi
Wednesday, 12 August
6 p.m.

Morocco vs. Cameroon
Wednesday, 12 August
9 p.m.