Wafcon 2026: The Rise of the Underdogs and the Fall of the Giants
The Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) 2026 in Morocco has been a tournament of surprises, upsets, and new beginnings. As the dust settles on Cameroon's victory over Malawi in the final, it's time to reflect on the lessons learned and the future of women's football in Africa.
The Power of Expansion
The decision to expand Wafcon to 16 teams was a bold move, and it paid off. The tournament provided a more level playing field, allowing underdogs to rise and giants to fall. The Indomitable Lionesses, despite being eliminated in the qualifiers, benefited from the expansion, advancing to the tournament on the strength of their world ranking. Similarly, Ivory Coast, who missed the last Wafcon, reached the finals and topped their group before losing to Algeria in the quarter-finals.
The expansion also meant that all four semi-finalists booked their places at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, alongside Cameroon and Morocco. This is a significant step forward for women's football in Africa, as it provides more high-level matches and opportunities for development.
The Rise of the Underdogs
The tournament saw several shock results, with underdogs rising to the occasion. Tanzania bridged a gap of 65 places in the world rankings to upset South Africa in the group stage, and Malawi, the debutants, upset 10-time champions Nigeria with a 3-2 win in their opener. The Chawinga sisters' attacking prowess was a key factor in Malawi's success, and they will certainly climb the world rankings when FIFA updates its rankings.
Zambia and Mali were also unfortunate not to reach the knockout stage, while Cape Verde, Egypt, and Kenya were the only sides not to win a game. The tournament saw 90 goals scored in 32 games, with an average of 2.81 goals per game, an increase on the average of 2.54 from the 2024 edition.
The Rise of Female Coaches
Cameroon's Valentine Nguele became the fifth female coach to lead a side to glory in Wafcon history. Her achievement is all the more impressive given that she only took over in June. Her success is a testament to the power of female leadership in football and the importance of giving women a chance to prove themselves.
The Fall of the Giants
Nigeria, the defending champions, came into the tournament targeting a record-extending 11th Wafcon title. However, they paid the price for failing to win their group, being eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals. They then fell to a 2-1 defeat by South Africa in their World Cup play-off, meaning Nigeria will be absent from the tournament for the first time.
The Super Falcons' reliance on talent developed and based abroad has masked a lack of institutional structure in the country. With Morocco investing heavily in the women's game, Cameroon benefitting from $2m in prize money, and Algeria, Ghana, and Malawi making strides, Nigeria's place at the summit of the African women's game is no longer assured.
The Negatives
Attendances at matches not involving the home nation of Morocco were once again an issue, with all-but-empty stadiums from the 2022 and 2024 editions. The late rearrangement of the finals, the cost of travel around the continent, and the requirement for visas are long-ingrained obstacles.
The use of video assistant referee checks could also be speeded up, with one inspection at the pitch-side monitor during Cameroon's group win over Mali lasting almost four minutes. The hosts were the beneficiaries of soft-looking penalty awards late on against both Cameroon in the semi-final and in the third-placed play-off against Algeria.
The Future of Wafcon
Morocco has now held the past three Wafcons, but whether the kingdom has the appetite to host again remains to be seen. No announcement has been made about where or when the 2028 tournament will be staged, with the finals needing to avoid the Los Angeles Olympics from 14 to 31 July that year.
A regular and viable slot in the FIFA calendar needs to be found, and attention now switches to the preliminaries for LA 2028, which recommence in October and continue in three international windows next year, with 32 sides competing for two coveted places at the Games.
South Africa and Ghana will enter an inter-confederation qualifier for next year's Women's World Cup, and the future of Wafcon looks bright, with the tournament providing a platform for growth and development for women's football in Africa.
