WAFCON 2026 is heating up, kicking off the quarterfinals this weekend after a dramatic group-stage finale with serious 2027 World Cup implications.
Cup of Nations newcomer Malawi emerged out of Group C, taking it on tiebreakers after a tight 2-1 loss to Zambia — while Nigeria’s 6-2 win over Egypt eliminated Barbra Banda’s Copper Queens.
Morocco, Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Cameroon, and Ghana now join Temwa Chawinga’s Scorchers and the 10-time champion Super Falcons in the knockouts.
Each quarterfinal winner books an automatic World Cup bid, while the four losing teams go on to battle for two inter-confederation playoff berths.
Should world No. 153 Malawi take down Ghana on Saturday, it would become the lowest-ranked Women’s World Cup qualifier in history.
WAFCON quarterfinals kick off tomorrow at 1 PM ET (CAF TV).
