The Women's Africa Cup of Nations wrapped up in Morocco on 16 August, and it delivered one of the most dramatic editions in the tournament's history. It was the biggest yet, 16 teams for the first time, and it doubled as Africa's qualifying tournament for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
Cameroon were crowned champions for the very first time, beating tournament debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat. Cameroon became just the fourth nation ever to lift the trophy, while Malawi, ranked 153rd in the world and playing their first ever WAFCON, produced the story of the tournament on their way to the final.
How the final four finished
Champions: Cameroon · Runners-up: Malawi · Third: Algeria · Fourth: Morocco
All four semi-finalists booked their place at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. For Malawi and Algeria, it will be their first ever World Cup.
WAFCON 2026 knockout results
The knockout rounds produced shocks at every turn. Reigning champions and record 10-time winners Nigeria were dumped out in the quarter-finals by Cameroon, their earliest exit ever, and missed out on World Cup qualification for the first time in their history. Former champions South Africa also crashed out at the quarter-final stage, guaranteeing a brand new name on the trophy.
| Round | Fixture | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Cameroon vs Nigeria | 1-0 |
| Quarter-final | Morocco vs South Africa | 2-1 |
| Quarter-final | Malawi vs Ghana | 1-0 |
| Quarter-final | Algeria vs Côte d'Ivoire | 2-1 |
| Semi-final | Morocco vs Cameroon | 0-0 (Cameroon 3-1 pens) |
| Semi-final | Algeria vs Malawi | 1-3 |
| Third place | Morocco vs Algeria | 1-1 (Algeria 3-2 pens) |
| Final | Cameroon vs Malawi | 3-0 |
The stories of the tournament
Malawi's fairytale. The lowest-ranked side in the field, playing their first ever WAFCON, beat Nigeria and Egypt in the group, then Ghana and Algeria in the knockouts to reach the final. The Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, were the driving force behind the run.
Nigeria's collapse. The defending champions and 10-time winners suffered their worst ever WAFCON, going out in the quarter-finals to Cameroon and missing a World Cup for the first time.
Algeria's breakthrough. Never past the quarter-finals before, the Fennecs reached the semis, took bronze on penalties against the hosts, and qualified for a first ever World Cup, also collecting the Fair Play award.
WAFCON 2026 group stage results
| Date | Kick-off | Fixture | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 July | 18:00 | Algeria vs Senegal | A |
| 26 July | 21:00 | Morocco vs Kenya | A |
| 27 July | 18:00 | South Africa vs Tanzania | B |
| 27 July | 21:00 | Côte d'Ivoire vs Burkina Faso | B |
| 28 July | 18:00 | Zambia vs Egypt | C |
| 28 July | 21:00 | Nigeria vs Malawi | C |
| 29 July | 18:00 | Ghana vs Cape Verde | D |
| 29 July | 21:00 | Cameroon vs Mali | D |
| 30 July | 18:00 | Senegal vs Kenya | A |
| 30 July | 21:00 | Morocco vs Algeria | A |
| 31 July | 18:00 | South Africa vs Côte d'Ivoire | B |
| 31 July | 21:00 | Burkina Faso vs Tanzania | B |
| 1 August | 18:00 | Egypt vs Malawi | C |
| 1 August | 21:00 | Nigeria vs Zambia | C |
| 2 August | 18:00 | Ghana vs Cameroon | D |
| 2 August | 21:00 | Mali vs Cape Verde | D |
| 3 August | 21:00 | Senegal vs Morocco | A |
| 3 August | 21:00 | Kenya vs Algeria | A |
| 4 August | 21:00 | Burkina Faso vs South Africa | B |
| 4 August | 21:00 | Tanzania vs Côte d'Ivoire | B |
| 5 August | 21:00 | Egypt vs Nigeria | C |
| 5 August | 21:00 | Malawi vs Zambia | C |
| 6 August | 21:00 | Mali vs Ghana | D |
| 6 August | 21:00 | Cape Verde vs Cameroon | D |
Final round matches in each group kick off simultaneously. Knockout stage: quarter-finals 8 August, semi-finals 12 August, final 16 August in Rabat.
When does WAFCON 2026 start and finish?
The tournament opened on Sunday 26 July with two Group A fixtures in Rabat and ran through to the final on Sunday 16 August. The group stage finished on 6 August, followed by the quarter-finals on 8 August, semi-finals on 12 August, and the final at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
A brief history of WAFCON
The competition traces back to 1991, when Nigeria beat Cameroon to win the first African Women's Championship. It became an official biennial tournament from 1998, and this year's edition is the 14th to carry the current WAFCON name.
Nigeria's Super Falcons are, by some distance, the most successful side in the competition's history, with 10 titles. Before this year only three other nations had ever lifted the trophy: Equatorial Guinea, who won twice; South Africa, whose Banyana Banyana claimed a breakthrough first title in 2022; and now Cameroon, who joined the list as champions in 2026.
Former Nigeria striker Perpetua Nkwocha remains the tournament's all-time leading scorer, with 24 goals between 2002 and 2014. She won the Golden Boot four times and still holds the record for goals in a single edition, 11, set back in 2010. Nigeria's most recent title came in dramatic fashion too, coming from 2-0 down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in Rabat on 26 July 2025, exactly a year to the day before this tournament kicked off.
How does World Cup qualification work?
Four teams left Morocco with a guaranteed place at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, as every semi-finalist qualified directly: Cameroon, Malawi, Algeria and Morocco. For Malawi and Algeria, it is a first ever World Cup. The four beaten quarter-finalists went into a further round for two places in FIFA's intercontinental play-off.
Champions: Cameroon
Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses lifted the trophy for the first time, a landmark moment for a side that had technically been eliminated in qualifying before benefiting from the expansion to 16 teams. They made the most of it, knocking out record champions Nigeria along the way and finishing the job with a commanding 3-0 win over Malawi in the final.
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