Women's Africa Cup of Nations
The Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is Africa’s top women’s football championship. It is organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and has been played since 1998. The tournament also serves as Africa’s qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Format and growth:
- 8-team group stage originally; since 2022 the finals feature 12 teams in three groups of four, followed by knockout rounds. From 2026 the finals will be expanded to 16 teams.
- The winners earn a direct place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup; the losing semi-finalists enter a playoff (Repechage) with the AFC to win two extra World Cup spots.
- The defending champion qualifies automatically for the next edition, and the host nation also qualifies.
History and champions:
- Nigeria is the most successful team, with 10 titles, and are the current champions after winning in 2024.
- Equatorial Guinea won in 2008 and 2012. South Africa won in 2022. Morocco reached the 2022 final as hosts.
- The tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosts and branding:
- Host nations have included Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Cameroon, and Morocco.
- In 2015, the tournament was renamed Africa Women Cup of Nations, though it is still widely referred to as WAFCON.
- A new trophy for WAFCON was unveiled in 2025 to mark the event’s expansion.
Sponsorship and prize money:
- TotalEnergies has supported the event since 2016.
- For the 2024 edition, the prize pool was USD 3.475 million, with the winner earning USD 1 million.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 04:33 (CET).