New champion to be crowned at 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations after Nigeria and South Africa exit
The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will see a new champion as defending champions Nigeria and 2022 winners South Africa were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Nigeria, who have won 10 of the 13 previous editions, were defeated by Cameroon. Hosts Morocco ended South Africa's title defense with a 2-1 victory in Rabat, securing their place in the semi-finals and a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Equatorial Guinea, the only other previous winners, have not qualified since 2018, meaning no former champions are in the semi-finals. Nigeria remains the most successful team in WAFCON history with 10 continental titles. With Nigeria and South Africa out, hosts Morocco are among the favorites, alongside Algeria, Cameroon, and either Ghana or Malawi. The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. The four quarter-final losers will enter a play-off tournament to determine Africa’s two representatives for the inter-confederation play-offs. Nigeria and South Africa will play each other in Casablanca for one of the remaining routes to the 2027 World Cup.
