Nigeria and South Africa entered WAFCON 2026 as two of the continent’s established powers. After one match, both are already chasing the tournament.
Malawi’s historic 3-2 victory over the defending champions and Tanzania’s late win against South Africa transformed the second round before it had even begun. The surprise winners now have an opportunity to prove their opening results were more than memorable one-off performances.
Elsewhere, Morocco meet Algeria for control of Group A, Ghana face Cameroon at the top of Group D and the teams defeated in their opening matches begin running out of room for another mistake.
Round two opened with Senegal against Kenya, which was underway at the time of writing. Seven more matches will follow across four days.
Nigeria Against Zambia Is the First Major Test of the Champions
No fixture carries more intrigue than Nigeria against Zambia. The Super Falcons must recover from becoming the first reigning WAFCON champions to lose against tournament debutants. Their two stoppage-time goals against Malawi created late tension, but they could not undo the damage caused by the Chawinga sisters.
Zambia arrive in a completely different mood. Their 6-0 victory over Egypt was the largest WAFCON win in the country’s history, with Barbra Banda scoring four goals and creating another.
The contrast creates a difficult question for Nigeria. Pushing forward in search of a response could leave space for Banda and Racheal Kundananji, but another hesitant attacking performance would allow Zambia to play with the confidence of a team already holding three points.
Nigeria are not automatically eliminated if they lose, but finishing the second round without a point would leave their title defence dependent on other results and a final-match recovery. Zambia can place themselves in a commanding position by defeating the defending champions.
South Africa Must Stop Group B’s Most Clinical Team
South Africa’s defeat against Tanzania was not caused by a lack of opportunities. They had 64 per cent possession and recorded nine shots on target, but Tanzania absorbed the pressure and scored the decisive goal through Hasnath Ubamba late in the match. That makes Côte d’Ivoire a dangerous next opponent.
The Lady Elephants scored four times against Burkina Faso, with Inès Konan striking twice during a ruthless first-half performance. Returning to WAFCON after 12 years away, they immediately showed an ability to convert promising attacks into goals.
South Africa must rediscover the efficiency that was missing from their opener without allowing another opponent to punish them at the other end.
Côte d’Ivoire, meanwhile, can turn an impressive return into a serious claim for the quarter-finals. A second victory would leave the former champions facing the possibility of an unexpectedly early exit.
Morocco and Algeria Compete for Early Control
Group A’s two opening winners meet in Rabat after beginning the tournament without conceding. Morocco overwhelmed Kenya 4-0, scoring three times before half-time and adding a fourth shortly after the restart. Ibtissam Jraidi’s two goals placed her among the early Golden Boot contenders, while the hosts delivered one of the round’s most complete performances.
Algeria’s 2-0 win over Senegal was less emphatic but equally valuable. Marine Dafeur’s penalty gave them control before Melissa Bethi secured the result late in the match.
The challenge for Algeria will be surviving the sustained attacking pressure Morocco produced against Kenya. For the hosts, this is an opportunity to demonstrate that their opening dominance can be repeated against another winning team.
Whichever side takes three points will move closer to the quarter-finals and gain a clear advantage in the race to win Group A.
Malawi and Tanzania Have Something New to Prove
Producing a shock result changes expectations immediately. Malawi entered their first WAFCON match with little external pressure. Against Egypt, they will be expected to build on the victory that placed them alongside Zambia at the top of Group C.
The Chawinga sisters will again provide the central threat, but the match may require a different type of performance. Egypt conceded six against Zambia and must find greater defensive stability, while Malawi may encounter an opponent focused primarily on denying them space.
Tanzania face a similar test against Burkina Faso. Their organisation and composure frustrated South Africa, but a second match against a defeated opponent brings a different responsibility. Burkina Faso need a result after conceding four to Côte d’Ivoire and will know that another loss could leave their qualification hopes almost entirely gone.
Malawi and Tanzania have already created two of the tournament’s best stories. WAFCON Round two will show whether they are also capable of controlling the expectations those victories created.
Ghana and Cameroon Meet at the Top of Group D
Ghana and Cameroon both collected three points without producing the overwhelming dominance seen from Morocco or Zambia. The Black Queens defeated Cape Verde 2-0 through an early Doris Boaduwaa goal and a second-half own goal. Cameroon required two goals from Ngah Manga to edge Mali 2-1.
Their meeting should provide a clearer measurement of both teams. Ghana carried the greater attacking threat in their opener but did not control every stage of the match. Cameroon showed they could respond after conceding an equaliser, although Mali kept the contest alive until the final seconds.
A winner would take control of Group D. The later fixture between Mali and Cape Verde carries the opposite pressure, with both teams seeking the first points of their campaigns.
Cape Verde must also respond to Klaydiana Borges’ late red card against Ghana, while Mali need to turn their competitive performance against Cameroon into a result.
WAFCON 2026 Round Two Schedule
WAFCON Round Two – All times are listed in CET.
| Date | Time | Group | Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July | Underway | A | Senegal vs Kenya |
| 30 July | 22:00 | A | Morocco vs Algeria |
| 31 July | 19:00 | B | South Africa vs Côte d’Ivoire |
| 31 July | 22:00 | B | Burkina Faso vs Tanzania |
| 1 August | 19:00 | C | Egypt vs Malawi |
| 1 August | 22:00 | C | Nigeria vs Zambia |
| 2 August | 19:00 | D | Ghana vs Cameroon |
| 2 August | 22:00 | D | Mali vs Cape Verde |
The opening round gave Malawi and Tanzania historic victories. The second will determine whether the rest of the tournament must begin treating them as genuine quarter-final contenders.
Nigeria and South Africa now carry the burden of proving that one defeat has not changed their place in the hierarchy. Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco and the other opening winners have an opportunity to suggest that it already has.
Source: CAF WAFCON Round Two
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