Cameroon Win Wafcon as Africa Sends Four to Brazil Without Nigeria
AFRICA · SPORT
Key Facts
—The four going to Brazil: Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and Malawi, through the Wafcon semi-finals; Algeria and Malawi are debutants.
—The team that isn’t: Nigeria lost 2-1 to South Africa on 13 August, ending nine appearances since 1991.
—Still alive: South Africa and Ghana enter FIFA’s 10-team play-off for the last three places.
—The final: Cameroon beat debutants Malawi 3-0 in Rabat on 16 August for a first title.
—The sisters: Tabitha Chawinga scored twice and Temwa Chawinga once as Malawi beat Algeria 3-1 in semi-final on 12 August.
—The record holders: Nigeria have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 10 times, more than every other country combined.
Four African teams have qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, and the continent can still add two more. Nigeria, the record African champions, will miss the tournament for the first time since 1991.
How Africa’s Women’s World Cup 2027 places were decided
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco, doubled as the continent’s qualifying tournament. Reaching the semi-finals was enough to book a place in Brazil.
Morocco and Algeria got there on 8 August; Cameroon and Malawi followed a day later. For Algeria and Malawi it will be a first Women’s World Cup.
South Africa and Ghana won play-offs in Casablanca on Thursday 13 August. They join FIFA’s 10-team play-off tournament, which offers the last three World Cup places.
The preliminary round runs from November to December 2026. The final phase is a single knockout match in February 2027.
Everyone else is out, and the name at the top of that list is the one nobody expected.
Nigeria, ten-time champions, are going home
Nigeria lost 2-1 to South Africa at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca. Thembi Kgatlana and Refiloe Jane scored; Christy Ucheibe pulled one back from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time.
The Super Falcons have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 10 times, a continental record. They had appeared at every Women’s World Cup since the first in 1991.
That run ends here. Nigeria has treated qualification as a formality for three decades, so this is a shock rather than a bad week.
Asisat Oshoala, six times African footballer of the year, started the defeat but could not rescue Nigeria.
Malawi, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament
Malawi were the lowest-ranked side at their first Wafcon, entering on world ranking after the field grew to 16 teams. They beat Nigeria 3-2 in the group stage and Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
On 12 August they beat Algeria 3-1 in Rabat to reach the final. Tabitha Chawinga scored twice, her sister Temwa once, in a match that also produced a first-half red card for each side.
The sisters are not amateurs discovered by a fairytale. Tabitha plays for OL Lyonnes in France.
Temwa won the golden boot and most valuable player award with Kansas City Current.
Cameroon ended the host’s run and won the title
Cameroon reached the final by knocking out Morocco in Rabat the same day. They drew 0-0 after extra time and won 3-1 on penalties.
It was their first Wafcon final since 2016, and they won it.
Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina saved a penalty in extra time and three more in the shootout.
Morocco, who have invested heavily in the women’s game and built the tournament’s infrastructure, still travel to Brazil. Algeria beat them 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Saturday 15 August.
Cameroon won the final 3-0 at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Sunday 16 August. Marie Ngah scored twice and Naomi Eto once.
Why Brazil 2027 matters to this continent
The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be the first held in South America. FIFA awarded it to Brazil in May 2024 and confirmed the dates of 24 June to 25 July 2027.
For African federations that is a long and expensive journey, but also an unusually sympathetic audience. Eight Brazilian cities will host matches, and the final is at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.
The hosts are Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador. The opening match is in São Paulo.
It also puts African squads in front of a South American scouting and sponsorship market that has barely looked at them. The Rio Times follows the wider commercial contest for African talent and attention in Africa: The New Scramble.
For now the continent sends four teams and possibly six. It does not send the one that has won more African titles than everybody else combined.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which African teams have qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup?
Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and Malawi qualified directly by reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. South Africa and Ghana go into FIFA’s 10-team play-off tournament, which offers the last three places.
Why did Nigeria fail to qualify?
Nigeria lost their quarter-final to Cameroon, then lost a play-off 2-1 to South Africa in Casablanca on 13 August 2026. It is their first absence from the tournament, after nine appearances since 1991.
Who won the 2026 Wafcon final?
Cameroon beat Malawi 3-0 in Rabat on 16 August 2026 to win their first title. Cameroon had beaten hosts Morocco on penalties, while Malawi beat Algeria 3-1.
Where is the 2027 Women’s World Cup being held?
The tournament is in Brazil, the first time it has been staged in South America. It runs from 24 June to 25 July 2027, and the final is in Rio de Janeiro.
Connected Coverage
Africa’s weight in global sport sits alongside the trade and investment story. Read Africa: The New Scramble and our Northern Africa hub.
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