Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Mali strengthen qualification hopes for Morocco 2026 WAFCON

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Nigeria lead a formidable pack of African contenders who have positioned themselves strongly in the race to qualify for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), set to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026.

As hosts, Morocco have already booked an automatic spot at the continental showpiece. The Atlas Lionesses—runners-up in the last two editions after losing to South Africa in 2022 and to Nigeria earlier this year—will be aiming to finally clinch the title on home soil.

The Super Falcons of Nigeria, nine-time African champions, continued to underline their dominance with a 2–0 away victory over the Amazons of Benin Republic in Lomé on Friday. Goals from Chinwendu Ihezuo and Esther Okoronkwo handed Randy Waldrum’s side a comfortable advantage ahead of Tuesday’s return leg in Abeokuta.

Zambia, who were humbled by Nigeria during this summer’s tournament, bounced back in style with a 4–2 win over Namibia in Windhoek. The Copper Queens will now look to complete the job in front of their home fans in Ndola.

Ghana’s Black Queens also put themselves in a commanding position, defeating Egypt 3–0 in Cairo to all but secure passage to the next round, while Mali claimed a crucial 1–0 away win over Cape Verde in Praia to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Across the continent, other first-leg encounters produced mixed results. Angola and Malawi played out a goalless draw in Luanda, as did Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire in Dakar. Kenya seized the initiative with a 3–1 home victory over The Gambia, while Algeria edged Cameroon 2–1 in a tightly contested tie.

Burkina Faso and Tanzania both carry 2–0 leads into their away return legs against Togo and Ethiopia respectively. Defending champions South Africa, meanwhile, were held to a 1–1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa.

Ethiopia are set to host Tanzania in Addis Ababa on Sunday before ten more decisive second-leg fixtures unfold on Tuesday. In Nigeria, the Super Falcons will welcome Benin Republic to the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta at 4 p.m., aiming to confirm their place among Africa’s elite for Morocco 2026.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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