Women's AFCON 2026 Qualifiers: Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin to Clash in October

Cameroon Miss Out on 2025 WAFCON Finals, Nigeria Secures Victory

Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses have fallen short in their quest to qualify for the 2025 WAFCON finals, suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Nigeria in a recent friendly.

The African continent is gearing up for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with the final round taking place from 20th to 28th October, 2025, in Morocco. The tournament will determine the four semi-finalists, who will secure a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.

Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon, and several other teams are set to compete in the WAFCON final round. Egypt will face Ghana, Cameroon will take on Algeria, and the match between Namibia and Zambia is also on the schedule.

Benin and Nigeria will square off in the WAFCON final round, following Benin's victory over Sierra Leone 5-2 on aggregate. The Super Falcons of Nigeria will also face the She-Cheetahs of the Benin Republic, a highly anticipated match in the tournament.

Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire will also clash in the WAFCON final round, adding to the excitement of the competition. The exact matchups and progression of the teams in the semi-finals of the WAFCON 2026 qualification are not yet clear, but Nigeria and Benin have secured their places in this stage.

The 2027 Women's World Cup will feature 32 teams, an increase from the 24 teams that participated in the 2023 edition. The number of teams will rise even further to 48 for the 2031 Women's World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico and the United States.

Algeria reached the quarter-finals in the 2025 WAFCON, finishing second in their group behind Nigeria. Their journey ended in a 2-4 penalty shootout loss to Ghana's Black Queens in the quarter-finals.

Two additional African slots for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup will be decided via a play-off tournament. The winners of the 11 final qualifying matches will join hosts Morocco for the 2026 WAFCON finals.

Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Malawi, DR Congo, and South Africa are among the teams participating in the WAFCON final round, adding to the diversity and competitiveness of the tournament.

Kenya will face Gambia, and Cape Verde will square off against Mali, completing the lineup for the WAFCON final round. As the tournament approaches, anticipation builds for these exciting matches and the opportunity for African teams to represent the continent on the global stage.