African quartet secure historic Women’s World Cup places after dramatic WAFCON quarter-finals
By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent Four trailblazing African nations have seized a historic opportunity to book their places at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Malawi have rewritten the landscape of African women’s football. The ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is doubling as a high-stakes […]
Four African nations have made history by securing their places at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. The Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco doubled as a high-stakes qualifying tournament, with reaching the semi-finals guaranteeing automatic entry. Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon, and Malawi all achieved this remarkable feat, rewriting the landscape of African women's football.
Algeria broke new ground by becoming the first African nation to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. They overcame a resilient Ivory Coast squad, defeating them 2-1 after N'Sira Oudraogo was sent off. The turning point came when Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham scored, sweeping away the Ivorians' advantage.
Morocco continued their impressive run by defeating South Africa 2-1, with Sakina Ouzraoui Diki and Hanane Ait El Haj netting the goals. Meanwhile, Cameroon stunned Nigeria by winning 1-0, thanks to a spectacular 30-yard free kick from 19-year-old Myriam Nyadjou. This monumental victory secured Cameroon's place in the World Cup, ending Nigeria's streak of appearing in every single previous global finals.
Malawi completed the most astonishing chapter of the tournament, causing a massive shock as debutants. They came from behind to defeat Ghana 2-1, with Chantelle Boye Hlorkah giving Ghana an early lead, Temwa Chawinga equalizing for Malawi, and Rose Kadzere sealing the fairytale triumph in the 79th minute.
Now, the continental tournament moves into its decisive phase, with the semi-finals taking place in Rabat. Morocco will face Cameroon, while Algeria will play Malawi. The journey is not over for the four quarter-final losers, as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and South Africa retain a path forward. The winners of the semi-finals will advance to the ten-nation intercontinental play-offs scheduled for November and December, with three of those nations qualifying for the 2027 World Cup, which begins on June 24th and ends on July 25th.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
