The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with six nations set to secure a pathway to the global competition in Brazil, FIFA has confirmed.
In a qualification guide published on Sunday, the world football governing body said the continental championship, scheduled to take place in Morocco from July 26 to August 16, will decide the first four African teams to qualify automatically for the World Cup, while two others will remain in contention through the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament.
A total of 16 countries will compete at the tournament, including Nigeria, defending champions South Africa, hosts Morocco, Ghana, Cameroon, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Senegal and Tanzania.
According to FIFA, the teams will be divided into four groups of four, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the quarter-finals. The four teams that reach the semi-finals will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
“The CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will serve as FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers. After a group stage with four groups of four, the top two teams of each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. All four semi-finalists will qualify for Brazil 2027,” FIFA stated.
The governing body explained that the race for qualification would not end at the quarter-final stage for all teams. The four losing quarter-finalists will compete in additional play-off matches to determine the two African representatives for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament.
The intercontinental play-off tournament will feature 10 teams—two each from Africa, Asia, Concacaf and South America, alongside one representative each from Europe and Oceania. The opening phase is scheduled for November and December 2026, while the decisive matches will take place in February 2027.
FIFA said the qualified teams would be drawn into three knockout pathways, with the winners earning the final places at the expanded Women’s World Cup. Teams from the same confederation will not face each other during the draw.
Nigeria heads into the tournament seeking a record 10th consecutive appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, having featured in every edition since the inaugural tournament in 1991. The Super Falcons are also aiming to extend their dominance in African women’s football with another continental title.
Ghana has qualified for the Women’s World Cup three times, while Cameroon and South Africa have each reached the tournament on two occasions. Morocco, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea have all made one appearance at the global showpiece.
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be staged in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, marking the first time the tournament will be hosted in South America. The competition is expected to feature the strongest women’s national teams from across the globe, with Africa aiming to improve on its performances from previous editions.
(The Sun)