WAFCON 2026: How Nigeria became Africa’s greatest and the envy of South Africa & Morocco

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There are just 27 days left before the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 begins on July 26, Afrik-Foot reports.

The tournament will end on August 16, with 16 countries competing for the biggest prize in African women’s football.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have qualified once again and will arrive as the team every other nation wants to beat. South Africa were the defending champions before Nigeria reclaimed the trophy last year. Morocco have invested heavily to host three straight editions of the tournament. Still, the Super Falcons remain the favourites because no African team has matched their success over nearly three decades.

Nigeria have won the competition a record 10 times, more than every other nation combined. Equatorial Guinea have won twice, while South Africa have lifted the trophy only once. The Super Falcons are also the only team to have won every WAFCON final they have reached, giving them a perfect record of 10 victories from 10 finals.

The tournament itself has grown alongside Nigeria’s dominance. It officially adopted an eight-team group-stage format in 1998 before expanding to 12 teams in 2019. The 2020 edition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the 2026 tournament will make history as the first to feature 16 participating nations.

WAFCON: Nigeria’s remarkable journey to becoming Africa’s queens

Nigeria set the standard from the very beginning by winning the first official WAFCON title in 1998. They then completed an incredible run by winning five consecutive championships between 2000 and 2006.

Their dominance was interrupted in 2008 when Equatorial Guinea became the first country outside Nigeria to win the title. South Africa eventually broke through in 2022 after losing four previous finals.

However, Nigeria quickly reminded everyone why they remain Africa’s greatest women’s football nation. In the 2024 tournament, played in 2025 and hosted by Morocco, the Super Falcons produced the greatest comeback in WAFCON history. They recovered from two goals down to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final, silencing the home crowd and winning a record-extending 10th continental title.

That victory also extended Nigeria’s incredible finals record to 10 wins from 10 appearances. No men’s or women’s national team anywhere in Africa has won more continental championships than the Super Falcons.

Reigning WAFCON champions Nigeria Super Falcons

Nigeria and South Africa are the only countries to have qualified for every edition of the competition since 1998. They are also the only African nations to have won both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Meanwhile, Morocco will make history in 2026 as the first country to host three consecutive WAFCON tournaments. But after losing home finals to South Africa in 2022 and Nigeria in 2024, the Atlas Lionesses will once again be desperate to end their title drought.

Records that make Nigeria’s Super Falcons the team everyone fears

Nigeria’s dominance is visible in almost every major WAFCON record.

No country has played more matches, won more games or scored more goals than the Super Falcons. They have finished among the top three 11 times, more than any other nation, while their 5-0 victory over Cameroon in the 2004 final remains the biggest winning margin in a championship match.

Former striker Perpetua Nkwocha is still the competition’s greatest goalscorer with 24 goals. She also scored in 20 different WAFCON matches, won the Golden Boot four times and still holds the record for the most goals in a single tournament after scoring 11 times in the 2010 edition.

Nigeria’s attacking strength has remained consistent across generations. Nigerian players have finished as the tournament’s top scorer on nine occasions. During the most recent edition, the Super Falcons scored 14 goals with 11 different players finding the net, showing the quality throughout the squad.

The country’s football legends have also built an unmatched legacy. Florence Ajayi, Perpetua Nkwocha, Osinachi Ohale and Francisca Ordega have each won five WAFCON titles, making them the most decorated players in the tournament’s history.

The Super Falcons also hold the longest unbeaten run in WAFCON history after going 16 consecutive matches without defeat between 2002 and 2008, recording 13 wins and three draws.

As WAFCON 2026 approaches, South Africa and Morocco will once again believe they can challenge Nigeria. But history, records and experience all point in one direction. The Super Falcons remain Africa’s most successful national team and will head to Morocco aiming to lift an unprecedented 11th continental title.