Latest News
Super Falcons’ WAFCON reign: Nigeria chase more history as records, icons and upsets define continental showpiece
Nigeria’s Super Falcons head into the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco defending not only their title but a dominance unmatched in African women’s football, as the expanded tournament offers fresh opportunities for new records and iconic moments.
The 14th official edition of WAFCON, staged from 26 July to 16 August, is the biggest yet, with 16 teams taking part for the first time. The competition also doubles as a qualifying event for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, adding extra weight to every match.
Morocco hosts the tournament for a third consecutive time and, once again, the spotlight will fall heavily on champions Nigeria, who begin their defence in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has raised the winner’s prize to $2m, from an overall prize fund of $5.8m, underlining the rapid growth of the women’s game on the continent.
Nigeria’s unmatched title haul
No nation comes close to Nigeria’s record at WAFCON. The Super Falcons have collected 10 titles since the competition became a full continental tournament in 1998 – making them by far the most successful team in its history.
Their triumphs span decades: 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2024. Remarkably, Nigeria have reached 10 WAFCON finals and won every one of them, maintaining a perfect record whenever the trophy has been at stake.
Only Equatorial Guinea and South Africa have interrupted that supremacy. Equatorial Guinea stunned the continent by emerging champions in 2008 and repeating the achievement in 2012, while South Africa finally lifted their first WAFCON trophy in 2022 with a 2-1 victory over hosts Morocco in the final.
Each of Nigeria’s 10 continental crowns is now represented by a star above the crest on their famous green shirts. Even before WAFCON was formalised in 1998, the Super Falcons had already laid down a marker, winning the regional qualifying competitions in 1991 and 1995.
Goal-scoring greats and record-breaking stars
Some of African football’s most celebrated players have built their reputations at WAFCON – and few shine brighter than Nigeria’s legendary forward Perpetua Nkwocha.
Nkwocha remains the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, with 34 goals. She won the Golden Boot on four occasions and set a single‐edition record in 2010 by scoring 11 times. Her most memorable display came in the 2004 final, where she struck four goals in a 5-0 win over Cameroon – still the only time a player has scored four in a WAFCON final.
Current Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala has written her own chapter in the competition’s story. The six-time African Women’s Player of the Year claimed the Golden Boot in 2016 with six goals and has been a key figure in Nigeria’s continued success across multiple tournaments.
Equatorial Guinea forward Genoveva Anonman was pivotal in ending Nigeria’s early monopoly. She won the Golden Boot in 2006 with seven goals and again in 2012 with six, performances that underpinned both of Equatorial Guinea’s historic title wins.
Longevity has created another class of WAFCON legend. Former Nigeria captain Onome Ebi holds the record for most tournament appearances, having played in seven editions between 2008 and 2022. Over that period, the defender helped secure four titles in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018 before retiring from international football.
Cameroon captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene has also featured in seven WAFCONs and, unlike Ebi, is part of the 2026 squad. If she appears in Morocco, she will become the first player to take part in eight editions of the tournament.
Among serial winners, Francisca Ordega and Osinachi Ohale stand alone. The Super Falcons pair have each collected five WAFCON titles, the most championship medals held by any player in the competition’s history.
Another notable individual record belongs to Tunisia forward Mariem Houij, who scored after just 17 seconds against Togo at the 2022 tournament – the fastest goal ever recorded at WAFCON.
Finals, shocks and defining nights
WAFCON’s past is rich with games that have changed the narrative of African women’s football.
In the 2024 final in Rabat, Nigeria produced one of their most dramatic comebacks. Trailing hosts Morocco 2-0 at half-time, the Super Falcons turned the match around through goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Osinachi Ohale and Jennifer Echegini to win 3-2 and clinch their 10th continental crown.
Two years earlier, the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium had staged a landmark moment for the women’s game in Africa. A crowd of 45,562 watched the 2022 semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria – the largest attendance ever recorded for a women’s match on the continent.
That 2022 edition also brought long-awaited glory for South Africa. After losing five previous WAFCON finals, Banyana Banyana finally claimed the title with a 2-1 win over hosts Morocco, delivering a first African championship for coach Desiree Ellis and her squad.
Equatorial Guinea’s 2008 success remains one of the competition’s great shocks. As hosts, they knocked out Nigeria in the semi-final and went on to lift the trophy, then proved their breakthrough was no fluke by winning again in 2012.
In 2016, Cameroon appeared on course for a home triumph in Yaounde in front of more than 40,000 supporters, only for Nigeria to spoil the party. Desire Oparanozie struck an 84th‐minute winner to secure yet another Super Falcons title and silence the expectant crowd.
New chapter in Morocco
The 2026 tournament in Morocco unfolds against this backdrop of records, rivalries and landmark occasions. With more teams involved, increased prize money on offer and tickets for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup at stake, a new generation of players now has the chance to join – and perhaps challenge – the legends whose exploits have defined WAFCON.