Taking place from 26th July to 16th August, the tournament will be held in Morocco for the third consecutive edition, with the cities of Rabat and Casablanca having been selected to host the 34 matches. For the first time in its history, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will feature 16 nations divided into four groups of four teams.
The competition holds two major benefits for the participants, as the teams that reach the semi-finals will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The four nations eliminated in the quarter-finals will, meanwhile, compete against each other to determine the two teams that will qualify for the intercontinental play-offs.
On the African continent, very few teams have managed to beat Nigeria since the tournament began in 1998. Of the 14 editions held to date, only Equatorial Guinea (2008, 2012) and South Africa (2022) have managed to prevent them from lifting the trophy. Justine Madugu’s players will now be looking to continue their continental dominance by winning an 11th title, their second in a row.
The Super Falcons will kick off their campaign on Tuesday 28th July at 9pm against Malawi, who have qualified for the first time in their history and will be led by former Paris Saint-Germain player Tabitha Chawinga. The African champions will then have a score to settle against Zambia, as the Copper Queens beat the Nigerians in the third-place play-off at the 2022 tournament, a result that remains the greatest achievement in their history to this day.
Finally, Rasheedat Ajibade and Jennifer Echegini will face Egypt, who are making their long-awaited return to the flagship competition after a 10-year absence. Should they qualify, the quarter-finals will take place on Saturday 8th August, four days before the two semi-finals.
Matchday 1: Nigeria v Malawi, Tuesday 28th July at 9pm, Al Madina Stadium (Rabat).
Matchday 2: Nigeria v Zambia, Saturday 1st August at 9pm, Al Madina Stadium (Rabat).
Matchday 3: Egypt v Nigeria, Wednesday 5th August at 9pm, Olympic Stadium (Rabat).
Group A: Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
Group B: South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
Group C: Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
Group D: Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde
