After a week plus of action and 24 games, WAFCON 2026's group stage is over and the field halved. For the remaining teams, particularly those with low aspirations of winning the tournament, this next round is the most important. Victory locks in an automatic spot in next year's World Cup in Brazil. Defeat sets team on an uncertain path through the repechage round and the intercontinental playoff. Let's take a look at who made it through, how they did so, and who they face in the next round.
Group A
Advanced: Morocco (2-1-0, Goal Differential (GD): +5, Points (P): 7), Algeria (2-0-1, GD: +3, P: 6)
Eliminated: Senegal (1-1-1, GD: -1, P: 4), Kenya (0-0-3, GD: -7, P: 0)
Morocco, tournament host and one of the favorites, largely cruised to the knockout stage. Opening up against Kenya, the Atlas Lionesses wasted little time getting out on the front foot with Sakina Ouzraoui opening up scoring in the 19th minute. Maryame Atiq doubled Morocco's 10 minutes later. Ibtissam Jraïdi added a goal on both sides of the half time break to make it 4-0. In their second match, Morocco battled North African rivals Algeria in what was a scoreless match until Sanaâ Mssoudy secured an Atlas Lioness victory with an 84th minute goal. Need just a draw in their final match, Morocco got just that, playing Senegal to a 0-0 draw.
Algeria opened up their tournament with a 2-0 victory against Senegal. Marine Dafeur converted a penalty just before the half to give the Fennec Foxes a 1-0. Mélissa Bethi added a second goal in the 88th minute to secure all three points. In their second match, Algeria were able to keep the hosts at bay until the 84th minute. Looking to secure their place in the knockout round, Marine Dafeur scored her second goal of the tournament in the 14th minute to open up scoring for Algeria on a spectacular free kick from distance. Lynda Bendris added a second goal just 9 minutes later to double the Fennec Foxes' lead and secure their spot in the next round.
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Group B
Advanced: Ivory Coast (2-1-0, GD: +4, P: 7), South Africa (1-1-1, GD: 0, P: 4)
Eliminated: Burkina Faso ( 1-0-2, GD: -3, P: 3), Tanzania (1-0-2, GD: -1, P: 3)
Ivory Coast got off to a quick in Group B. Just 7 minuted into their opening match against Burkina Faso, Les Éléphantes earned a penalty which Rebecca Elloh expertly dispatched. Inès Konan found the back of the net twice in a seven minute span to give Ivory Coast a 3-0 lead at the half. N’Sira Ouedraogo added a four goal for Ivory Coast in the second half. Adama Congo scored for Burkina Faso in the 60th minute, but that is as close as the game got. Facing South Africa in their second match, Les Éléphantes jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind a Grâce Sery first half brace. Ivory Coast, however, was unable to hold on to the lead, as Banyana Banyana found an equalizer 9 minutes into second half stoppage time. Ivory Coast locked in their place in the knockout round with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania.
South Africa opened up WAFCON with a shocking defeat. Though favorites in this tournament, they fell 2-1 to Tanzania. At halftime of their match against Ivory Coast, Banyana Banyana's stay in WAFCON looked like it was going to be short with the team trailing 2-0. Thembi Kgatlana scored in the 71st minute to give South Africa hope. With time running out, Hildah Magaia found the equalizer 9 minutes into stoppage time to salvage a draw and South Africa's tournament. Facing off against a Burkina Faso team with an identical record, South Africa emerged victorious 1-0 and booked passage to the next round.
Group C
Advanced: Malawi (2-0-1, GD: +2, P: 6), Nigeria (2-0-1, GD: +4, P: 6)
Eliminated: Zambia (2-0-1, GD: + 6, P: 6), Egypt (0-0-3, GD: -12, P: 0)
Prior to just over a week ago, Malawi had never played in WAFCON. In their first match of the tournament faced off against the tournament's most successful team and scored a huge upset. Temwa Chawinga had a brace and Tabitha Chawinga scored to lead The Scorchers to a 3-2 win over Nigeria. Malawi continued their dream debut with a 3-1 victory. In their third match, The Scorchers faced off against Barbra Banda and Zambia, falling 2-1. Malawi finished their first WAFCON group stage with two wins and 6 points.
After their shocking defeat to Malawi, the Super Falcons righted their campaign against Zambia with a 1-0 victory over the Copper Queens. In their third match, Nigeria put 6 goals into the back of the net to end Egypt's WAFCON on a dismal note. The Super Falcons finished the group stage with two wins and 6 points.
Group C ended with a tie at the top of the group. Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia all finished with two wins and three points. To determine who advanced, goals scored in head to head matches was used as the tie breaker, sending Malawi and Nigeria to the next round and Zambia home.
Group D
Advanced: Cameroon (2-1-0, GD: +2, P: 7), Ghana (1-1-1, GD: +2, P: 4)
Eliminated: Mali (1-1-1, GD: 0, P: 4), Cape Verde (0-1-2, GD: -3, P: 1)
Cameroon opened their tournament with a 2-1 victory over Mali behind a Marie Ngah Manga brace. Ngah Manga was the hero again for the Indomitable Lionesses, converting from the spot to give Cameroon a 1-0 over Ghana. Needing a draw to ensure a spot in the next round, Cameroon drew Cape Verde 1-1. (With the draw, Cape Verde earned their first ever WAFCON point.)
Ghana faced Cape Verde in their first match. The Black Queens put a damper on Cape Verde's debut, sending them to a 2-0 defeat. In their second match, Ghana fell behind after conceding a 19th minute penalty and spent the rest of the match looking for an equalizer that never arrived. Facing Mali with a knockout round spot on the line, the Black Queens played to a 1-1 draw.
Quarter Final Match Ups
Quarter Final 1: Morocco vs South Africa - 8 August 2026 - 12 PM CT
Quarter Final 2: Ivory Coast vs Algeria - 8 August 2026 - 3 PM CT
Quarter Final 3: Malawi vs Ghana - 9 August 2026 - 3 PM CT
Quater Final 4: Cameroon vs Nigeria - 9 August 2026 - 12 PM CT
