WAFCON 2026 qualifiers: Cameroon miss out again, South Africa battle through
Newcomers Cape Verde and Malawi join familiar faces among 12 teams competing at next year's tournament in Morocco
Barely a couple of months after the last Women’s Africa Cup of Nations ended, the stage is already set for the 14th edition of the tournament in Morocco next year. Bar the hosts, all 11 other qualifiers were decided this week as the two-legged second-round play-off ties were held around the continent. As ever, they produced a host of interesting storylines.
Headline results (aggregate scores)
Algeria 3-1 Cameroon
Three-time runners-up Cameroon were the big absentees at the last WAFCON, having featured in all prior iterations of the tournament with an exceptional record of advancing to the knockouts all but once. The Indomitable Lionesses got a walkover in the first round, but their qualifying showdown pitted them against a tricky opponent: Algeria were the only team to not concede in this summer’s tournament, also held in Morocco, keeping clean sheets in all group games before bowing out on penalties in the quarter-finals.
Cameroon still seemed confident enough of being able to get through as they got off to a front-footed start away from home in the first leg. However, it was Algeria who drew first blood thanks to a very well-taken free-kick from Ghoutia Karchouni. Things got even better for the Fennecs 10 minutes later, when Cameroonian goalkeeper Claudia Dabda was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity outside the box. To make matters worse for the visitors, Marine Dafeur converted the resulting free-kick.
Algeria did not do much to make their numerical advantage count in the second period, though, as possession was equally shared. They were made to pay when Ajara Nchout halved the deficit from the penalty spot well into stoppage time, setting up an exciting second leg.
The return match in Douala was not dampened by the rain but rather the empty stadium, with fans not allowed to attend at a tense time in the country following the controversial re-election of 92-year-old president Paul Biya to an eighth term. The Lionesses certainly seemed to miss their supporters as they failed to build any serious pressure. Dafeur restored Algeria’s two-goal aggregate cushion before half-time, and they comfortably saw out the win to qualify for consecutive WAFCONs for the first time in two decades.
DR Congo 1-2 South Africa
The 2022 WAFCON champions South Africa found a talented DR Congo side to be very tough opponents. The hosts missed some gilt-edged chances in the first leg in Kinshasa, and were made to pay for it when South Africa opened the scoring in the 43rd minute. DR Congo’s forwards only took that as motivation to push harder, and their efforts were quickly rewarded as Ruth Kipoyi snuck in a finish from a tight angle. There were no goals in the second half, so it was even stevens going into the second leg in Soweto.
The big story in South Africa was the return of Thembi Kgatlana, who missed the last WAFCON for personal reasons. She has remained as sharp as ever for Tigres, so it was no surprise to see her pick up exactly where she left off. The 29-year-old striker offered a consistent threat in behind and needed less than half an hour to find the back of the net, though she was wrongly adjudged offside. Banyana Banyana were never dominant in the match but largely maintained a decent amount of control, holding the edge thanks to their away goal. In the end, a stoppage-time winner from none other than Kgatlana sealed the deal for good.
Nigeria 3-1 Benin
The 10-time African champions Nigeria were heavy favourites against world No 144 Benin in their qualifying play-off. The Super Falcons did not put together the most convincing of performances away from home in the first leg, but first-half goals from Chinwendu Ihezuo and WAFCON 2024 star Esther Okoronkwo put them in a commanding position.
The holders preserved their two-goal advantage with a 1-1 draw in the second leg, in which Ashleigh Plumptre scored her first international goal 12 minutes in. Yasminath Djibril netted a direct free-kick in the second half to get Benin on the scoresheet, but they could do no more. Injuries to Okoronkwo and the Washington Spirit’s Deborah Abiodun rather marred the occasion, though the former is not set to suffer a serious setback.
The bigger stories were to be found off the pitch. For one, there was little publicity for the match in Abeokuta, which is over 500km away from the national capital, Abuja, so the MKO Abiola Stadium was not full even as the African champions paid it a rare visit. Worse yet, the match was not broadcast anywhere domestically or internationally, so fans could only follow reports from on-the-ground journalists.
The one other piece of good news for Nigerian fans was confirmation from head coach Justin Madugu that he has received a two-year contract offer from the country’s football federation and is set to lead the title defence next year.
Standout stars
A couple of attackers shone bright over the last two weeks. Racheal Kundananji played a key role in setting the tone for Zambia, who comfortably beat Namibia 7-2 on aggregate to secure their place at next year’s WAFCON.
In the injury-enforced absence of Barbra Banda, the Bay FC forward stepped up and bagged a hat-trick in the first leg. She also opened the scoring at home this week, ending up as the joint-top scorer in the qualifiers.
Arguably the standout performer over this round of fixtures, though, was Doris Boaduwaa. She put together an excellent all-round display in Ghana’s first leg away in Egypt, working hard to lead the line both with and without the ball. It was Boaduwaa who opened the scoring before half-time en route to a 3-0 win. Her clever movement and goalscoring instincts were on full display in the second leg, too, as she grabbed a second-half hat-trick to help the Black Queens to a 4-0 win for a 7-0 aggregate victory.
Both Boaduwaa’s and the team’s performances as a whole were made all the more impressive by the fact that they boycotted training for a couple of days in the buildup to the match, protesting unpaid bonuses reportedly worth $9,500 per player. They did train on the day prior to the match as the payment process is reportedly under way now, so they will hope to see the issue entirely resolved before the next WAFCON.
What you might have missed
The other qualifiers include two debutants. The party continued in Cape Verde as their women’s team sealed a spot in their first major tournament less than a decade after their formation – just a couple of weeks after the men sealed a World Cup debut. The women secured qualification by defeating Guinea in the first round and then staged an away comeback against Mali to win the second-round tie 4-3 on aggregate.
Malawi are the other team to qualify for their first WAFCON, having defeated Angola 2-0 on aggregate thanks to two late goals in the second leg. Neither of the Chawinga sisters was on the scoresheet – Temwa did not even feature due to an injury – so it was left to teenage midfielder Faith Chinzimu to star with a quickfire double in the last 10 minutes of the tie in Lilongwe.
Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Senegal complete the lineup for WAFCON 2026. The Harambee Starlets will make just their second appearance at the tournament, a full decade after their debut in 2016. Burkina Faso featured as recently as 2022, while Senegal and Tanzania were there in Morocco earlier this year.
The group-stage draw will be held on 12 December, while WAFCON 2026 will get under way on 17 March and conclude on 3 April. Besides continental glory, spots in the next World Cup will be on offer in Morocco.
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