With quarter-final places set to start taking shape, every team stepped into Matchday two of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) knowing there was little room for error. By the end of the day, redemption, disappointment and renewed hope had all found their place in Morocco.
Group A served up the first blockbuster of Matchday two as neighbours Morocco and Algeria renewed their North African rivalry. With little separating the two sides for much of the contest, it took a late Sanaa Mssoudy winner to hand the hosts a narrow victory, making Morocco the first team to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Senegal kept their quarter-final dream alive with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Kenya. For the East Africans, however, the result marked the end of the road, confirming their elimination with one group game still left to play.
Group B continued to live up to its billing as the tournament’s most unpredictable group. Tanzania suffered a 2–1 defeat to Burkina Faso in a dramatic encounter that saw a goal ruled out, a player sent off and their hopes of early qualification delayed. The result left all four teams with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals heading into the final round of group matches.
South Africa, on the other hand, had to draw on their champions’ character to rescue a 2–2 draw against Côte d’Ivoire and avoid what would have been an embarrassing early exit for Desiree Ellis’ side.
Inspired by two outstanding 18-year-olds, Grace-Ruth Sery and Nsira Ouedraogo, the youthful Ivorian side stunned South Africa in the first half. Sery found the net twice while Ouedraogo provided the assists, leaving Banyana Banyana staring at elimination with just 20 minutes remaining.
The turnaround, however, came through two of South Africa’s most experienced players. Thembi Kgatlana pulled one back in the 71st minute before substitute Hildah Magaia struck deep into stoppage time to rescue a crucial point. The late equalizer came just five minutes after Magaia had another goal ruled out by VAR, completing a dramatic escape for the 2022 champions.
Saturday was a day of drama, and Group C delivered in abundance. Both winning teams; defending champions Nigeria and tournament debutants Malawi had players sent off but still found a way to secure crucial victories.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons responded brilliantly to their opening-day defeat, edging a confident Zambia side that arrived on the back of a 6–0 victory. The ten-time champions held on for a 1–0 win despite playing more than an hour with 10 players after Oluwatosin Demehin was sent off in the first half.
The Nigerians displayed remarkable resilience as they withstood relentless pressure from the Copper Queens, led by tournament top scorer Barbara Banda. Asisat Oshoala’s eighth-minute strike; another reminder of why she is regarded as one of the greatest players in WAFCON history; proved enough to seal all three points.
Malawi continued their fairytale debut with a 3–1 victory over Egypt, securing a second consecutive win despite playing a significant portion of the match with 10 players. They now head into the final round of group fixtures as favourites to reach the quarter-finals which wasn’t a scenario many would have predicted before the tournament began.
Matchday two came to a fitting close with a dogged yet somewhat surprising 1–0 victory for Cameroon over Ghana’s Black Queens. A first-half penalty proved enough for the Indomitable Lionesses to claim all three points and move to the brink of the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Mali edged a spirited Cape Verde side 3–2 to keep their own qualification hopes alive heading into the final round of group matches.
The final round of group-stage fixtures now promises even more drama. Morocco are already through, but the race for the remaining seven quarter-final places is wide open. With redemption still on the cards for some, fairytales waiting to be written by others and a tournament that has yet to produce a goalless draw, WAFCON 2026 continues to deliver exactly what its expanded format promised which is – drama at every turn.
