Three quarter-final fixtures at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have now been confirmed following the conclusion of Group C, with Nigeria joining Ivory Coast, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa and Malawi in the last eight.
Hosts Morocco will face South Africa on Saturday, August 8, at 9 p.m. WAT, while Ivory Coast take on Algeria at 6 p.m. the same day.
The Super Falcons, the reigning WAFCON champions, are set for a quarter-final showdown with Cameroon at 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 9, as the Lionesses are expected to be crowned the winners of Group D later tonight.
Malawi, meanwhile, will meet either Mali or Ghana after securing a historic place in the knockout stage on their tournament debut.
How the Super Falcons Qualified For 2026 WAFCON
Naija News reports that the Super Falcons of Nigeria booked their place in the 2026 WAFCON quarter-finals after a convincing 6-2 win over Egypt in Rabat on Wednesday night, August 5. However, the result alone was not enough, as Nigeria’s fate depended on the outcome of the simultaneous clash between Malawi and Zambia.
Having opened the tournament with one win and one defeat, Justine Madugu’s side needed all three points against an already eliminated Egyptian team and favourable tie-breakers to progress. Asisat Oshoala gave Nigeria the lead from the penalty spot after Barbra Banda had put Zambia ahead against Malawi.
With both matches at 1-0, Nigeria, Malawi and Zambia were all level on six points, forcing the standings to be separated by results involving the three teams. At that stage, Nigeria and Malawi occupied the qualification spots.
The picture changed when Zambia scored a second goal to move to the top of the group, pushing Malawi into danger while Nigeria held on to second place. Gift Monday then doubled Nigeria’s lead before Egypt pulled one back before the halftime break.
Uchenna Kanu restored Nigeria’s two-goal advantage immediately after coming on in the second half, but another twist followed when Tabitha Chawinga scored for Malawi, briefly lifting the debutants back to the top of the standings and leaving Zambia on the brink of elimination.
Christy Ucheibe converted another penalty to make it 4-1 before Nadin Yasser Ezzat Ghazy grabbed Egypt’s second goal. Zambia eventually defeated Malawi 2-1, but the victory was not enough to keep the Copper Queens in the competition after the tie-breakers were applied.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade calmly converted another late penalty to extend Nigeria’s lead, and substitute Joy Omewa completed the scoring with a simple finish as the Super Falcons wrapped up a 6-2 win. After a tense wait through eight minutes of stoppage time, Nigeria’s place in the quarter-finals was finally confirmed.
The remaining quarter-final fixture will be officially decided after Thursday’s Group D matches, with Cameroon facing Cape Verde while Mali take on Ghana at 9 p.m. simultaneously tonight, August 6.
