- WAFCON 2026 will determine Africa’s World Cup qualifiers
- Four teams will qualify directly for Brazil 2027
- Two more nations will earn a second chance through play-offs
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will serve as the main qualification route for African teams seeking places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with four teams earning automatic qualification and two others receiving another opportunity through a play-off.
According to a qualification guide released by FIFA on Sunday, Eko Hot Blog gathered that the tournament, scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 16, 2026, will determine Africa’s representatives for the expanded global women’s football tournament.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Tinubu Approves Army Expansion, Recruitment of 28,000 Personnel
- Aregbesola Claims Record as First Nigerian Governor to Serve Eight Years Without Owning a House
- Ikosi-Ejinrin LCDA Commissions Fully Equipped NSCDC Divisional Headquarters, Donates Patrol Vehicle and Motorcycle to Boost Security
Sixteen teams will compete at the competition, including Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Ghana, Cameroon, Zambia, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania.
FIFA stated that the teams will be divided into four groups of four, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the quarter-finals.
The four teams that reach the semi-finals will automatically secure qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The football governing body explained that teams eliminated at the quarter-final stage will still have a chance to qualify through a play-off system.
The four losing quarter-finalists will compete for two spots in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament, which will feature 10 teams from different confederations.
The global play-off event will include two teams each from Africa, Asia, Concacaf and South America, alongside one representative each from Oceania and Europe.
FIFA said the first stage of the play-off competition will hold in November and December 2026, while the concluding phase will take place in February 2027.
The tournament will see six teams divided into three qualification paths, with knockout matches determining the final three countries that will join the World Cup.
Nigeria, the most successful women’s national team in Africa, will be aiming to extend its record by making a 10th consecutive appearance at the Women’s World Cup after featuring in every edition since the competition began in 1991
Ghana has reached three editions of the tournament, while Cameroon and South Africa have each qualified twice. Morocco, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea have each made one appearance.
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be hosted by Brazil from June 24 to July 25, marking the first time the women’s tournament will be staged in South America.
FURTHER READING
