African quartet secure Women's World Cup places

Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Malawi have all earned spots in the 2027 Women's World Cup set to take place in Brazil. This prestigious tournament also employs the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) as a qualifying event. A nation's advancement to the World Cup hinges on their performance in the Wafcon semi-finals, with the top two teams automatically securing their places.

Algeria made history by claiming their first-ever Women's World Cup berth after a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, thanks to goals from Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham. Morocco followed suit with a 2-1 win against South Africa, with Sakina Ouzraoui Diki and Hanane Ait El Haj scoring the goals. Cameroon triumphed 1-0 over Nigeria, with Myriam Nyadjou's impressive 30-yard free-kick clinching the win.

Malawi's unexpected upset over Ghana, 2-1, secured the fourth qualifying spot. The Wafcon semi-finals are scheduled to commence on Wednesday, with Morocco facing Cameroon and Algeria taking on Malawi. The teams that lose in the quarter-finals - Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and South Africa - still hold the possibility of qualifying for the World Cup through a series of intercontinental play-offs in November and December.

The 2027 Women's World Cup, scheduled from June 24 to July 25, will witness 32 nations competing, with 18 of the qualifiers already determined. So far, the countries that have clinched their spots include Australia, China, Japan, North Korea, Philippines, South Korea from Asia; Argentina, Brazil (the host nation), and Colombia from South America.