Nigeria, South Africa lead 12 teams to Women’s AFCON 2026

Twelve countries have sealed their places at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 after two rounds of qualifiers.

Hosts Morocco, runners-up at the last two editions, will once again aim to turn home support into their first-ever title after narrowly losing to South Africa 2–1 in the 2022 final.

The Confédération Africaine de Football disclosed this on its website on Wednesday.

Nigeria, ten-time champions, remain the favourites as the Super Falcons chase an 11th continental crown to reaffirm their dominance in African women’s football.

Ghana, third-place finishers at the last tournament, arrive with renewed determination, while South Africa and Zambia, now established contenders, will be strong challengers.

The 2026 edition will also witness two debutants, Cape Verde and Malawi, making history with their first appearances at the finals.

Kenya and Burkina Faso return to the big stage after years away, while Senegal, Algeria, and Tanzania qualified convincingly, underlining the continent’s growing competitiveness.

With parity and quality on the rise, the upcoming tournament promises thrilling action as Africa’s best teams battle for both continental glory and qualification spots for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Brazil.

The four semi-finalists will earn automatic World Cup tickets, while two will advance to the intercontinental play-offs, making every match count.