So here we are, in the heart of a women’s football summer, it’s high time for a beginners guide to WAFCON (Women’s African Cup Of Nations).
On Saturday with UEFA EURO 2025 in full swing, just across the Mediterranean sea another international football tournament will kick off. In Rabat, Morocco the hosts will face Zambia in the first match of the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations.
WAFCON, like it’s male counterpart of the same name, has every bit the chaos, excitement and inexplicable talent on display as its namesake. And if you are not able to get up to date with your African football in time for Saturday, The Halfway Line is here to help you get on board before the big kick off.
WAFCON 2024?
Yes, you read that right WAFCON 2024, and no you did not imagine the first six months of 2025. The 2024 edition of WAFCON was delayed due to scheduling conflicts with FIFA meaning that it was pushed back into 2025 with Morocco taking up hosting duties for the second time in a row. Morocco will also host the next edition of WAFCON in 2026, just nine short months away. And in between that? Only the small matter of hosting the men’s edition in December.
It is plain to see why Morocco is being so trusted by CAF (Confederation of African Football), they hosted the competition in 2022 which was a storming success. And by the bidding process for the competition no other nation offered to host, so Morocco stepped up once again. CAF are stepping up investment and incentives to buy into the women’s game. The 2024 edition will see a record amount of prize money for every nation participating in the competition this year with the total prize money raised by almost 45 percent when compared to 2022. And considering 2022 was a 146 percent increase on 2018 it’s clear we are moving in the right direction, even if perhaps not at the pace that we’d like. In 2022 winners South Africa received £370,000, this year the winners will receive a figure closer to £740,000.
The tournament will be played across five host cities with Rabat, Casablanca, Berkane, Oujda and Mohammédia all involved.
Nigeria the record champions
The first thing you need to know in this beginners guide to WAFCON history is that Nigeria are the undisputed queens of WAFCON. The Super Falcons won each of the first five editions until 2008 when Equatorial Guinea beat South Africa in the final after stunningly knocking out Nigeria in the semi final. Nigeria have won the tournament an incredible nine times but have not won the competition since 2018, which is their longest period without winning the trophy ever.
Nigeria boast a sea of legends who have graced the tournament over the years. Perpetua Nkwocha is the all time top scorer of the competition winning the golden boot at a stunning four tournaments. That included in 2010 when she scored eleven goals in just five matches.
Did you know? The 2000 final between South Africa and Nigeria was abandoned after the home fans took issue with Stella Mbachu’s 72nd minute goal that doubled Nigeria’s lead. Nigeria were awarded a 2-0 victory over hosts South Africa after riot police intervened.
What happened at WAFCON 2022?
Morocco hosted what turned out to be one of the most exciting WAFCON tournament’s to date with an extended format of 12 teams introduced for the first time. The tournament had five debutants with only three of the teams competing having qualified for WAFCON more than twice before.
Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak received the Golden Ball for helping her side to the final of the competition. And the Golden Boot was shared between Chebbak, Rasheedat Ajibade and Hildah Magaia
The hosts faced favourites Nigeria in the semi final and after a tense 1-1 draw, Rosella Ayane’s winning penalty sent Morocco to an historic final.
Zambia also made an historic run to the semi final of WAFCON 2022, winning a classic quarter final against Senegal on penalties, with the winning penalty struck by Zambia goalkeeper Hazel Nali. Not only did that mean they made the semi final but it also meant that they qualified for the World Cup for the first time. The Copper Queens also beat Nigeria in the third place play off to secure their best ever finish.
The final was played in front of over 53,000 spectators with most of the crowd baying for victory for the home side. However a second half brace from Hildah Magaia put pay to the home hopes and sealed victory for Bayana Bayana.
Did you know? South Africa goalkeeper Andile Dlamini‘s went over six hours of tournament football without conceding, Rosella Ayane’s 80th minute strike in the final brought that run to an end.
Beginners guide to WAFCON 2025: the groups
The group stage of WAFCON operates in a similar way to the Olympic football tournament last Summer. Three groups of four teams will compete, the top two advance directly to the quarter finals, and the two third placed sides with the best records will join them.
No team is making their debut at the tournament this summer but Tanzania and DR Congo are making long awaited returns to the competition having not featured since 2010 and 2012 respectively.
Group A: Atlas Lionesses and Copper Queens renew rivalry
WAFCON feels like it’s at the most exciting ever and that has a lot to do with nations like Morocco and Zambia who have both have made enormous strides in the past few years. Both made their World Cup debut in 2023 and won at least a match and while Morocco made their first WAFCON final last time out, Zambia made their first semi final and have now qualified for two Olympic games.
Since that run to the WAFCON final and to the World Cup round of 16 for Morocco their French coach Raymond Pedros has been relieved of his duties. World Cup winning head coach Jorge Vilda who was sacked after the tournament by Spain has been in charge of Morocco now for almost two years. His tenure has been mixed and he faces enormous pressure from the powers that be in Moroccan football to succeed.
Most recently the sides met when the Atlas Lionesses faced Zambia in qualification for the Paris Olympics. It was a winner takes all two legged tie that started well for Morocco. A 95th minute winner from former Spurs star Rosella Ayane captured a first leg victory, 2-1 away in Ndola. But Zambia, who’d lost 5-0 to Vilda’s Spain at the World Cup the previous year, showed heart and courage to fight back and triumph 2-0 after extra time in Rabat. Barbra Banda scored both goals to dump Jorge Vilda’s Morocco side out of Olympic contention.
Morocco have only lost one game since then to Cameroon, who failed to qualify for this tournament and the Moroccans appear in ominous form. The hosts have come a long way since losing the opening match of the 1998 WAFCON 8-0 to Nigeria, still their heaviest ever defeat.
Zambia have a number of quality talents in their ranks with Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundunanji two of the best players on the continent. They are under new management too with Bruce Mwape finally ejected from the first team set up and former Ghana head coach Nora Häuptle taking the reigns.
Senegal and DR Congo complete group A with the former enjoying their best ever WAFCON run in 2022 to the quarter final. The latter is returning to the competition 13 years after making their debut. Senegal will have revenge on their mind when they face Zambia on 9th July, after Zambia ended their 2022 tournament and denied them a place at the World Cup.
Group B: Nigeria out to regain their crown
Nigeria are the highest ranked side going into the competition sitting at 36 in the FIFA World Rankings. The Super Falcons are always a force to be reckoned with, not just the continental stage but also the world stage. They have long since set the standard, and their pushing of European Champions England all the way to a penalty shoot out at the World Cup in 2023 caught some attention.
They are blessed with immense talent in their ranks. New Brighton recruit Chiamaka Nnadozie will start in goal with a plethora of attacking talent at their disposal too with Asisat Oshoala chief star among that front line. Randy Waldrum continues as their head coach after returning to the role in 2023.
The charismatic Mariem Houij helped her Tunisia team make the quarter finals of WAFCON in 2022. Along the way she nabbed the record for the fastest goal in WAFCON history, scoring after just 17 seconds against Togo.
The tournament takes on extra significance for Tunisia as they were stunningly knocked out in the first qualifying round for WAFCON 2025. They were felled by qualifying giant killers Kenya who also knocked Cameroon out of qualifying for the 2024 edition. It was a seismic shock, as at the time Tunisia were the highest ranked team in the draw.
But who knocked out the giant killers? That would be group opponents Botswana. Currently ranked 153rd in the world, Botswana made the quarter final at the last tournament and Keitumetse Dithebe was a big part of the reason why. The 22 year old scored her nation’s first ever WAFCON goal in a 4-2 victory over Burundi and found the net against Morocco in the quarters. She also scored in both legs of their tight victory over Kenya to make a second successive WAFCON in 2024.
And last but not least in group B is Algeria. A key player for the Fennecs is Ghoutia Karchouni of Inter Milan who has been on particularly good form for Algeria of late. Karchouni has scored three times in two matches in qualifying for the 2025 edition so far. Algeria were defeated last year twice by Nigeria in Lagos, but their battle is more likely to be for second place or a best third place in the competition. A victory against Botswana will be vital for their chances in their opening match.
Group C: Reigning champions meet dark horses
South Africa have enjoyed a magnificent couple of years of international football. Four times defeated WAFCON finalists of the past, they were at long last able to get their hands on the trophy last time out. Bayana Bayana followed that up with an historic run to the FIFA World Cup round of 16 and now they’ll look to defend their crown for the first time.
The rain over their parade in the past couple of years was defeat to bitter rivals Nigeria who bested them in Olympic qualifying which was painful. However Bayana Bayana have won every match they have played in 2025 including victories over fellow WAFCON qualifiers, Botswana and Zambia. Head coach Desiree Ellis continues to be one of the shrewdest tacticians in world football and the classy midfielder Linda Motlhalo will be central to their chances.
They will have to do without star player and 2018 golden ball winner Thembi Kgatlana. The Racing Louisville forward captured hearts at the World Cup in 2023 with her excellent finishing and joyful celebrations but the striker was forced to withdraw for personal reasons.
South Africa will face second seeds Ghana in their opening match. Ghana are the only team to have lost three finals and to never have won the competition. But they reached their last final almost 20 years ago in 2006. More recently the Black Queens had made solid progress under the management of Nora Häuptle pushing Zambia all the way in Olympic qualifying. Only a Barbra Banda goal in the 96th minute ensured their exit. But Häuptle has since left for their opponents that day with former Racing Louisville head coach Kim Björkegren taking the reigns.
The minows of the group follow. Tanzania are a footballing nation on the up, in 2022 their Under 17s team beat France 2-1 in a stunning upset at the Under 17 Women’s World Cup in India. Tanzania are the lowest ranked team to make the final tournament, and when the qualifying draw was made they were 152 in the FIFA World Rankings. And yet, they saw off Ivory Coast, a team almost 100 places ahead of them in those rankings.
Tanzania had a 3-0 goal lead to protect as they travelled to Lomé in the next qualifying round against Togo and just, held on despite a late surge from their opponents and a 2-0 defeat. Tanzania will hope that they can win their first ever match at a WAFCON tournament this summer.
Mali compete group C and have the attacking talents of PSG’s Agueicha Diarra and FC Fleury 91‘s Aissata Traoré to help their cause. Mali will hope to replicate their best ever performance at a WAFCON which came in 2018 when they made the semi final.
Where can I watch WAFCON 2024?
Your first port of call will be CAF TV on YouTube. CAF will stream some of the matches live and create a highlights package for each match available globally. No regional broadcaster has been confirmed as yet for the UK nor Ireland.
You will also be able to stream some of the matches on FIFA+ though regional restrictions will apply.
WAFCON kicks off on Saturday at 9pm as hosts Morocco face Zambia, the tournament will conclude with the final on 26th July at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
