The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has reached the stage where one mistake can end a team’s title dream and the four quarterfinals on August 8 and 9 carry an even bigger prize, Soccernet.ng reports. As the defending champions and Africa’s number-one ranked team, the Super Falcons are tipped to reach the semifinals despite a topsy-turvy group stage campaign. Still, Justine Madugu’s girls must first overcome a tricky Cameroon on the pitch in a quarterfinal schedule that involves six other nations. Each must win a single knockout match to move into the final four, but victory also brings automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The four losing quarterfinalists will instead enter a playoff route for the remaining African places.
The knockout stage begins with Côte d’Ivoire facing Algeria and hosts Morocco taking on defending champions South Africa on Saturday, August 8. Nigeria then meet Cameroon on Sunday before Ghana face surprise package Malawi later that day.
The predictions favour the teams with stronger tournament records, greater experience and, in some cases, home advantage. But the group stage has already shown that WAFCON 2026 can punish any side that takes an opponent lightly. Super Falcons lifted the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Photo by Mansa Ayoola Copyright: IMAGO
WAFCON quarterfinal: Côte d’Ivoire vs Algeria
Côte d’Ivoire have one of the strongest cases to reach the semifinals after going through Group B without a defeat. The Ivorians opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso before producing one of the most dramatic matches of the group stage against South Africa. They led 2-0 after Grace Sery scored in the 18th and 36th minutes, only for the defending champions to fight back.
Thembi Kgatlana pulled one back in the 71st minute before Hildah Magaia equalised in the ninth minute of added time. That 2-2 draw showed both sides of Côte d’Ivoire’s game. Their attack can hurt strong opponents, while their ability to collect points against South Africa proved they can compete under pressure. They then finished the group stage with another important result against Tanzania, securing their place in the knockout rounds. The Ivorians finished above South Africa in Group B, setting up a quarterfinal against Algeria, the Group A runners-up.
Algeria are not an easy opponent. They qualified from a group containing hosts Morocco, Senegal and Kenya and have the defensive organisation to make the match uncomfortable. Côte d’Ivoire, however, have already faced one of the tournament’s biggest tests and survived it. Their pace in attack and ability to create chances from wide areas could give them the edge at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.
Prediction: Côte d’Ivoire to reach the semifinals. WAFCON quarterfinal: Morocco vs South Africa
Morocco. Photo by Mansa Ayoola Copyright: IMAGO
The biggest quarterfinal on Saturday could also produce the most emotional battle. Morocco will face South Africa at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, with the hosts carrying the weight of an entire nation behind them.
The match is also a repeat of the 2022 WAFCON final, when Morocco lost to the Banyana Banyana in front of their home supporters. This time, Morocco enter the knockout stage with strong momentum. The hosts finished Group A unbeaten after beating Kenya 4-0 in their opening game, defeating Algeria 1-0 and drawing with Senegal.
They also scored regularly without suffering the kind of defensive collapse that can destroy a tournament run. South Africa have had a much more difficult group phase. Banyana Banyana drew 2-2 with Côte d’Ivoire after conceding twice early in the match, then suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat to Burkina Faso. Their final group game against Tanzania became a must-win situation as they fought to keep their title defence alive. The former champions therefore arrive in Rabat without the same level of confidence they had when they won the 2022 tournament.
Morocco also know the pressure of knockout football. They reached the 2022 and 2024 finals, losing both, and will see this tournament as another chance to win their first WAFCON title. Playing at home, with a strong crowd expected in Rabat and a group campaign that produced consistent results, gives Morocco the advantage.
Prediction: Morocco to reach the semifinals. WAFCON quarterfinal: Cameroon vs Nigeria
Super Falcons. Copyright: xAdekunlexAjayix IMAGO
Nigeria’s route to the semifinals has become one of the most interesting stories of the tournament. The Super Falcons suffered a huge shock in their opening Group C match when debutants Malawi defeated them 3-2. That result immediately put pressure on the 10-time African champions and raised questions about whether they could defend their crown. The response was strong. Nigeria recovered with a 1-0 victory over Zambia, with Asisat Oshoala scoring in the eighth minute before Oluwatosin Demehin was sent off in the 39th minute after a VAR review.
Despite playing with ten players for nearly an hour, Nigeria protected their lead and collected three crucial points. They then produced their biggest attacking performance of the group stage, beating Egypt 6-2.
That result sent a clear message that Nigeria still have enough attacking quality to hurt any team in Africa. Cameroon, meanwhile, won Group D without losing a match. They beat Mali, drew with Ghana and completed their group campaign with a victory over Cape Verde. That gives them a strong platform, but the history between these teams favours Nigeria. Nigeria have won the last three WAFCON meetings with Cameroon: 1-0 in the 2016 final, a penalty shootout victory after a 0-0 draw in the 2018 semifinal and another 1-0 victory in the 2022 quarterfinal. The Super Falcons also have more experience of this exact stage. They are the defending champions and are chasing an 11th continental title after winning the 2024 final against Morocco.
Cameroon have enough quality to make the game tight, but Nigeria’s attacking depth, tournament experience and record against the Indomitable Lionesses make them the stronger pick. Prediction: Nigeria to reach the semifinals.
WAFCON quarterfinal: Malawi vs Ghana
Ghana Black Queens. Photo by Mansa Ayoola/IMAGO
Malawi have been one of the most exciting stories of WAFCON 2026, but Ghana could have enough experience to end their remarkable run. The Scorchers stunned Nigeria in their opening game and then built on that result to finish top of Group C. Their attacking threat has been driven by the Chawinga sisters, while Rose Kadzere and Faith Chinzimu have also contributed important goals.
Malawi showed their attacking strength again when they defeated Egypt 3-1. Kadzere scored in the 35th minute, Chinzimu struck in first-half stoppage time and Temwa Chawinga added Malawi’s third in the 68th minute. That victory helped Malawi win Group C ahead of Nigeria and Zambia, both of whom also finished with six points. It was an outstanding achievement for a side making its WAFCON debut.
Ghana’s route was less dramatic but showed the value of experience. The Black Queens drew 1-1 with Mali in their final Group D game to finish second and secure their place in the quarterfinals.
Evelyn Badu put Ghana ahead in first-half stoppage time before Mali equalised five minutes after the break. Ghana now face a very different challenge. Malawi have the tournament’s surprise-factor and the Chawinga sisters can cause problems if they are given space to run. Ghana, however, have played at this level many times and understand how to manage a knockout match when the margin for error is tiny. The Black Queens were also among the four top-seeded teams in the WAFCON draw, alongside Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa, even before the tournament began. Malawi’s rise has been impressive, but Ghana’s experience could prove decisive once the game becomes a battle of patience, positioning and game management. Prediction: Ghana to reach the semifinals.
WAFCON: The four semifinal picks
If the predictions prove correct, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Nigeria and Ghana will make up the WAFCON 2026 final four. More importantly, each quarterfinal winner will secure a direct ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The semifinals are scheduled for August 12 in Rabat, meaning the quarterfinals offer both a path to the African title and the biggest international prize available to these teams.
