The group stage of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has produced its usual share of shocks, and by Thursday evening, seven of the eight quarter-finalists were already known, with the final ticket from Group D still up for grabs. Morocco is hosting the expanded, 16-team edition of the tournament, and the stakes have never been higher: every team that reaches the semi-finals books an automatic ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Here is a breakdown of who has qualified, how the quarter-final pairings have fallen, and when each match will be played.
Teams that have qualified for the WAFCON 2026 quarter-finals
Eight of the sixteen teams that started the tournament have survived the group stage. As it stands, the confirmed quarter-finalists are:
| Team | Group | Finish | How they qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | A | Winners | Topped the group unbeaten on seven points |
| Algeria | A | Runners-up | Finished above Senegal on goal difference |
| Côte d’Ivoire | B | Winners | Beat Tanzania 2-1 on the final matchday |
| South Africa | B | Runners-up | Edged Burkina Faso 1-0 to seal their spot |
| Malawi | C | Winners | Topped the group on a tiebreaker despite losing 2-1 to Zambia on the final day |
| Nigeria | C | Runners-up | Thumped Egypt 6-2 in their final group match |
| Cameroon | D | Winners | First team to reach the last eight this year |
| Ghana or Mali | D | Runners-up | Still to be decided, head-to-head clash in Casablanca |
Zambia’s elimination is arguably the biggest talking point of the group phase. The Copper Queens finished level on six points with Malawi and Nigeria, and even out-scored both sides across the group, but a disregarded 6-0 win over already-eliminated Egypt cost them dearly once CAF applied its tiebreak rules to the mini-league of the three tied teams. It is a harsh way to bow out for a side built around Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji.
Malawi’s story runs in the opposite direction. Making their first-ever appearance at the finals, the Scorchers beat Nigeria in their opening match, held off Egypt, and then lost their final group game to Zambia, yet still topped Group C once the numbers were crunched. It is a remarkable achievement for a side that had never previously qualified for the tournament.
The final quarter-final spot
Group D’s second automatic qualification place was still being fought out at the time of writing. Ghana and the Black Queens needed only a draw against Mali to progress on goal difference, while the Malian side had to win outright to leapfrog their West African rivals. The match kicked off at 20:00 GMT (21:00 WAT) at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, running simultaneously with Cameroon’s dead-rubber against Cape Verde at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium. Whichever of Ghana or Mali comes out on top will complete the quarter-final line-up and face Malawi in the last eight.
WAFCON 2026 quarter-final fixtures, dates and kick-off times
With the bracket largely locked in, here is how the last eight is shaping up:
| Date | Fixture | Kick-off (WAT) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 8 August 2026 | Côte d’Ivoire vs Algeria | 18:00 | Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca |
| Saturday, 8 August 2026 | Morocco vs South Africa | 21:00 | Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Rabat |
| Sunday, 9 August 2026 | Cameroon vs Nigeria | 18:00 | Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca |
| Sunday, 9 August 2026 | Malawi vs Ghana/Mali (winner) | 21:00 | Al Madina Stadium, Rabat |
All kick-off times are in West Africa Time (WAT), which matches local time in Morocco during the tournament.
The hosts will fancy their chances of a routine passage past South Africa, but Banyana Banyana have never been an easy side to break down, and they arrive in Rabat having conceded just once in three group games. Côte d’Ivoire against Algeria is finely poised too, with the Elephants topping Group B unbeaten and Algeria having shown flashes of real quality despite finishing behind Morocco in Group A.
Sunday’s card carries an extra layer of intrigue. Nigeria’s Super Falcons, the defending champions and record ten-time winners of the competition, were far from convincing in the group stage, losing their opener to Malawi before recovering with wins over Zambia and Egypt. They now face a Cameroon side unbeaten in eleven consecutive group-stage matches and unbeaten against Nigeria’s continental rivals throughout this campaign. Meanwhile, Malawi’s fairytale run continues against whichever of Ghana or Mali survives Thursday’s shootout, with a maiden semi-final appearance, and a World Cup ticket, on the line.
What is at stake in the quarter-finals
Beyond continental bragging rights, every quarter-final in Morocco doubles as a World Cup qualifier. All four teams that reach the semi-finals on 12 August will secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The four losing quarter-finalists are not out of contention entirely; they will contest an additional play-off round on 13 August, with the two winners advancing to a FIFA intercontinental play-off for one final shot at Brazil 2027.
That means Saturday and Sunday’s matches carry far more weight than a typical last-eight tie. For teams like Ghana, Mali or an underdog Malawi side, victory would not just extend a WAFCON dream; it would open the door to the sport’s biggest stage.
The final itself will be played in Rabat on Sunday, 16 August, with the semi-finals scheduled for 12 August. Nigeria will be defending the title they won in dramatic fashion last year, coming from two goals down to beat Morocco 3-2, but this year’s quarter-final draw has handed them arguably their toughest task yet.
