Nigeria and Malawi secure Women's AFCON Morocco 2026 quarter-final places

Thursday 06 August 2026 - 12:45

By: Sahili Aya

Nigeria and Malawi secure Women's AFCON Morocco 2026 quarter-final places

Nigeria and Malawi have booked their places in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco following the conclusion of Group C, setting up intriguing knockout-stage encounters.

Nigeria sealed qualification with an emphatic attacking display against Egypt at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, producing a high-scoring victory that reaffirmed the Super Falcons' status as one of the tournament's strongest contenders. Veteran forward Asisat Oshoala led the charge with two goals, while several teammates also found the net in a dominant collective performance.

Despite Egypt managing to score twice, Nigeria controlled the contest for long periods and finished the group stage with six points. The result sends the nine-time African champions into the quarter-finals, where they are scheduled to face the winners of Group D in Casablanca.

Malawi also progressed to the knockout phase despite suffering a narrow defeat to Zambia. The Zambians made a fast start, building an early two-goal advantage before Malawi responded in the second half through Tabitha Chawinga, but the comeback ultimately fell short.

Even with the loss, Malawi finished at the top of Group C on six points, advancing to the quarter-finals under the competition's ranking criteria. The team will now return to Rabat for a quarter-final clash against the runner-up from Group D.

Zambia, despite collecting the same number of points as Malawi, was eliminated based on the tournament's tie-breaking regulations, bringing an end to its campaign despite a strong final group-stage performance.

With the group phase complete, the knockout rounds promise a series of highly competitive fixtures. Nigeria enters the next stage carrying the experience of one of Africa's most decorated women's football teams, while Malawi continues its impressive run as one of the tournament's surprise performers.

The quarter-finals are expected to showcase the growing competitiveness of women's football across the continent, as established powers and emerging nations battle for a place in the final stages of the championship.