2026 WAFCON to Select Africa's Teams for 2027 World Cup
WHO:
The New Arab - Egypt goalkeeper Habiba Sabry stated, "Nothing is impossible. I believe in our ability to succeed."
TVC News - FIFA confirmed that the tournament will decide the first four African teams to qualify automatically for the World Cup.
TVC News - FIFA is the governing body overseeing the tournament.
The Sun Nigeria - Six nations will secure a pathway to the global competition.
Punch Newspapers - Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Ghana, Cameroon, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Senegal, and Tanzania are the 16 countries competing.
WHAT:
The New Arab - Egypt's women's team aims to perform well and advance beyond the group stage in the WAFCON, having previously exited in the group stage in both of their past appearances in 1998 and 2016.
The New Arab - Egypt qualified for the expanded 16-team tournament after initially being eliminated by Ghana in qualifiers, benefiting from CAF's increase of the field from 12 teams.
The Sun Nigeria - 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.
Punch Newspapers - The six teams will be drawn into three paths, with a direct knockout match to determine the final three teams qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.
TVC News - The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Sun Nigeria - The tournament 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.
Punch Newspapers - The teams will be divided into four groups of four, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the quarter-finals.
WHERE:
The Sun Nigeria - The tournament is scheduled to take place in Morocco.
WHEN:
The New Arab - Egypt opens their Group C campaign against Zambia, the 2022 bronze medallists, on Tuesday.
The Sun Nigeria - The opening phase of the intercontinental play-off tournament is scheduled for November and December 2026, with decisive matches in February 2027.
The Sun Nigeria - The tournament will occur from July 26 to August 16, 2026.
Punch Newspapers - The intercontinental play-off tournament will feature matches in November and December 2026, with decisive matches in February 2027.
The Sun Nigeria - The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be staged in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027.
WHY:
The New Arab - Sabry expressed that a strong performance at WAFCON could encourage more parents to allow their daughters to play football and help grow interest in the women's game.
The Sun Nigeria - The tournament serves as a qualification process for the expanded Women’s World Cup.
HOW:
The Sun Nigeria - The four teams that reach the semi-finals will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Punch Newspapers - 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 Sun Nigeria - The qualified teams will be drawn into three knockout pathways, with the winners earning the final places at the expanded Women’s World Cup.
(UPDATED July 27, 2026 01:26 UTC)
Egypt's women's football team is gearing up to make a significant impact at the WAFCON, with goalkeeper Habiba Sabry expressing her belief that "nothing is impossible" as they aim to advance beyond the group stage for the first time. Having previously exited in the group stage during their appearances in 1998 and 2016, the team is looking to build on their qualification for the expanded 16-team tournament after initially being eliminated by Ghana in the qualifiers. They will kick off their Group C campaign against Zambia, the 2022 bronze medallists, on Tuesday, and Sabry hopes a strong performance will inspire more parents to support their daughters in pursuing football.
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(UPDATED July 26, 2026 20:17 UTC)
FIFA has confirmed that an upcoming tournament will determine the first four African teams to qualify automatically for the World Cup. The intercontinental play-off tournament will feature ten teams, including two each from Africa, Asia, Concacaf, and South America, along with one representative each from Europe and Oceania, with six teams drawn into three paths for knockout matches. The opening phase of this tournament is set for November and December 2026, culminating in decisive matches in February 2027.
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(UPDATED July 26, 2026 19:23 UTC)
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, overseen by FIFA, will take place in Morocco and serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Six nations will secure a pathway to the global competition, with the tournament running from July 26 to August 16, 2026, and featuring sixteen teams divided into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals, and the four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, while two additional teams will compete for a chance through the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament.