2024 Women African Cup of Nations—held in July of 2025
The 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations was delayed for a year due to CAF scheduling conflicts but host nation Morocco made the final for the second consecutive tournament with the frenzied support of their fans, but couldn’t overcome a tremendously talented Nigerian team, guided by a local interim coach. We look at the tournament’s results, rosters and highlight some key news across the 12 teams.
The tournament was held from July 5-26 in Rabat, two stadiums in Casablanca, and Mohammedia on the Northwest Coast, along with Oujda and Berkane—both cities northeast of Tangier and on the border with Algeria. Morocco is also hosting the 2025 men’s AFCON in December/January of 2026—it’s traditional timing—and will host the 2026 WAFCON in March, which will double as CAF’s qualifiers for the 2027 WWC in Brazil, where the top four finishers will advance to the world finals and the next two sides will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Playoffs for a last chance to make it to Brazil.
On July 3, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced it had doubled the prize money for the WAFCON winning side, from $500,000 to $1 million and increased the total prize money by 45 percent. This did not seem to dampen the arguments between some teams’ players and their federations, with one team cutting two players from their traveling side, most likely to save money (see below).
Group A
Host nation Morocco won the group undefeated with a 2-1-0 (W-D-L) record, tied with Zambia on points but finished first with a slightly better goal differential (+3 vs. +2). Senegal was third and qualified for the quarterfinals as one of the two best third place sides with a 1-0-2 record and three points, while DR Congo had 0 points, with 2 goals scored and 9 against.
In the opening game, Morocco rallied late to tie the Zambians 2-2 as their iconic team captain Ghizlane Chebbak (34), who had five goals in 39 games with Levante in Spain last season after years at home with ASFAR, scored three minutes from full time.
For Zambia, Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda scored in the first minute and Rachael Kundananji of Bay FC in the NWSL tallied in the 27th minute. The two NWSL stars each had three goals during the group stage, accounting for all of Zambia’s scores.
Group B
Nigeria won Group B with 7 points (2-1-0) and Algeria was second on five points (1-2-0), with both teams undefeated—even though Algeria only scored one goal (in their 1-0 first game win over Botswana) with none allowed. Botswana (3 points) and Tunisia (1 point) did not advance to the knockout stage.
Tunisia had a good chance to make the knockout stage if they had defeated Botswana in their last game, as those three points from a win would have given them four points to qualify as one of the two best third place teams. Tunisia led 1-0 until Botswana scored in the 66th minute through Lesego Radakanyo (26) of Double Action, while Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse (25) of Gaborone United scored the winner in the 95th minute.
The next day, when Ghana defeated Tanzania (4-1) in Group C, it was confirmed that Botswana was going home early along with Tunisia from their group. Interestingly, both teams have already been eliminated from the 2026 Women’s Cup of Nations, losing in the first qualifying round in February of this year—Botswana falling to DR Congo 2-0 on aggregate and Tunisia being edged by Kenya 1-0 on aggregate.
Group C
Reigning CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions South Africa finished undefeated with 7 points, while Ghana and Mali tied with 4 points (1-1-1) and both advanced to the quarterfinals, with Ghana finishing second with a better goal differential (+1 vs. -3). Tanzania finished with 1 point in only their second WAFCON tournament (after 2010 in South Africa, where they also earned one point).
Their 1-1 tie with South Africa is something to build on in the future but they face a tricky qualifier with Ethiopia in October in the last round of qualifying for the 2026 WAFCON (see: The Week in Women's Football: Loza Abera exclusive; Bhutan; Super League excitement - TribalFootball.com).
Knockout Stage
On July 18 in the quarterfinals, Nigeria had a stellar evening, overrunning Zambia with a 5-0 victory, building a 3-0 lead by halftime. Osinachi Ohale (33) scored the ultimate winner in the second minute. Ohale has played the last two seasons with Pachuca in the Liga MX Femenil, helping the club win the 2024-25 Clausura (see: The Week in Women's Football: Reviewing Liga MX, CONCACAF Cup and AFC Champions League - TribalFootball.com).
Esther Okoronkwo (28) of AFC Toronto in Canada and Chinwendu Ihezuo (28), also of Pachuca in Mexico, added first half goals and Oluwatosin Demehin (23) of Galatasaray and Folashade Ijamilusi (23) scored in the second half to send the high scoring Copper Queens home earlier than many expected. Ijamilusi moved to Chinese Super League side Liaoning Baiye FC from Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership champions Edo Queens, who she helped to the West Africa Zone B (WAFU-B) regional Women’s Champions League title in Cote D’Ivoire in 2024.
Also on July 18, Morocco won 3-1 over Mail with Ibtissam Jraidi (32) of Al Ahly of Saudi Arabia—who has 60 goals in 38 matches in one and one-half seasons at the club—scored a brace, with one from the penalty spot. Mali’s goal came from Aissata Traore (27), in the 97th minute; she will play in the NWSL next season with the expansion side Boston Legacy, acquired from Fleury of France (see more below).
On July 19, Algeria again posted their fourth consecutive tournament shutout against heavily favored Ghana. Ghana did score in the 27th minute through Stella Nyamakye (19) from an inspired pass by Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (29), but VAR ruled that the latter was offside. Nyamakye joined Gotham FC in 2025, on a three year contract with an option for 2028, from Dreamz Ladies in Ghana. Boye-Hlorkah grew up in England and scored 14 goals in 31 games over the past two campaigns for London City in the Championship, helping the team win promotion to WSL1 for 2025-26.
Algeria had the edge in possession throughout the match (56% vs. 44%) but struggled in front of goal, with 7 shots to Ghana’s 16 (with both teams having two shots on goal). Neither side could score in the thirty minute overtime period and the Fennecs were eliminated on penalties by the Black Queens (4-2), as Ghana scored on all four of their attempts, while their goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan (22)—who is with Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia after a season with Swieqi United of Malta—saved penalties from Marine Dafeur (30) and Ines Belloumou (24). Dafeur, who was born in France, had two full caps for France after playing for various age level teams but joined Algeria in 2023; she has played her entire career in France and since 2019 with Fleury.
Belloumou was also born in France and in July 2024 joined West Ham United of the WSL on a three year contract; she played last season on loan with Lazio in Italy and this season is on loan to Malmo of Sweden, who won promotion last season to the Damallsvenskan. It was a bit surprising to see Algeria’s manager—Farid Benstiti—reinvent himself. He joined Algeria’s WNT in 2022 after a horrendous experience in the NWSL with the Seattle (then OL) Reign. He also has coached Olympique Lyonnaise and Paris St. Germain in his native France, taking Lyon to four league titles and the 2010 UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, losing to Turbine Potsdam on penalties.
He took over Russia’s WNT from Vera Pauw (now with UAE) in late 2011 and has also coached Dalian Quanjian in China. Algeria should be very pleased with their performances, making the knockout stage for the first time in six finals (they did not qualify for the WAFCON in 2022), and this should spur the Fédération Algérienne de Football to invest more in the women’s game.
In the other quarterfinal on July 19, there was again another 120 minutes with no goals scored that needed penalties to resolve as South Africa defeated Senegal (0-0; 4-1 on penalties). South Africa struggled against a very physical Senegalese side. Mama Diop (30), who has played the last three seasons with Marseille and hadn’t been capped in over a decade, sent a header just over the bar at the end of the 90 minutes to nearly give Senegal a semifinal berth (they have made the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2022, after going out at the group stage in their only other WAFCON finals appearance in 2012 in Equatorial Guinea).
In the 30 minutes of extra time, Refiloe Jane (32)—who joined TS Galaxy Queens in South Africa this season after two seasons with Sassuolo in Italy—found Lebogang Ramalepe (33) with a brilliant through ball but the goal was called back for offsides. Ramalepe has been with Mamelodi Sundowns since 2023 after time with Minsk in Belarus and has over 100 senior caps. South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini (32), who has been with Mamelodi Sundowns since 2010, saved two Senegalese penalty kicks.
Though they advanced, Banyana Banyana would meet Nigeria in the semifinals with one less day to recover, having played 30 minutes more than their opponents did in the quarterfinals, and had to travel to Casasblanca from Oujda, where Nigeria had played their quarterfinal game.
On July 22, Nigeria bested reigning champions South Africa 2-1 to make their first WAFCON Final since 2018 as they try for their 10th tournament title out of 13 events since 1998 (Equatorial Guinea won two titles in 2008 and 2012 and South Africa won their sole title in 2022). South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini was outstanding again in goal but couldn’t save Nigerian captain Rasheedat Ajibade’s penalty kick in the 45th minute, who slid it under Dlamini.
South Africa’s Linda Motlhalo (27) sent Nigerian keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie (see more below) the wrong way from the spot and the champions were level in the 60th minute—which was the first goal that Nigeria allowed in the tournament. Motlhalo is in her second spell with Glasgow City in Scotland and has played for clubs in China (Beijing BG Phoenix), Sweden (Djugardens) and the U.S. (Houston Dash and Racing Louisville). In the 84th minute, South African midfielder Gabriela Salgado (27) of JVW, who could have played through ancestry for Portugal and Lebanon, collapsed as she landed from a challenge in her own box.
Immediately everyone in the vicinity covered their faces in anguish, shaking the Banyana Banyana players to their core—reminding some viewers of Danish superstar’s Christian Erikson’s collapse due to his heart stopping at the European Championships in 2021. Gabriela Salgado suffered a fracture of the mid-shaft of her left leg and underwent a successful surgery in Casablanca. She will be out the rest of the year.
The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, sent Salgado a message while she was in the hospital: “I know you’re a woman of deep and public faith, Gabriela, and you’re a woman of bravery and skill on the pitch. The nation wishes you well.”
After a ten minute delay, play resumed and the Houston Dash’s Michelle Alozie scored from a long cross in the 94th minute as the ball bounced through a number of players in the box, to give Nigeria the win and a final berth, though clearly South Africa had other concerns on their mind regarding Salgado. South Africa had not lost a WAFCON game in regulation time since 2016 and had gone 15 matches undefeated in the competition. They also had not lost a WAFCON knockout match since the semi-final against Nigeria in 2016, though they did lose the final on penalties in 2018 (against Nigeria in Ghana 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 tie).
Morocco qualified for its second consecutive final after a 1-1 tie with Ghana and advanced on penalty kicks (4-2). Interestingly, they knocked Nigeria out in the semifinals of the 2022 event. Team captain Ghizlane Chebbak was optimistic that Morocco could win the title this year, after falling to South Africa three years ago, also at home: “In the last final, we lacked experience. Now, the team has improved. We have reached the final on merit and are going to take advantage of the fact that we are playing at home to try and get the trophy.”
In the third place match on July 25, Ghana did much better in the penalty shootout, defeating South Africa 4-3 after a 1-1 tie. Teenager Nancy Amoh (19) of Ampem Darkoa Ladies at home converted the decisive penalty with a low shot into the corner of the net. Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan gifted South Africa the lead on 45 minutes as she lost control of the ball just outside the box and Nonhlanhla Mthandi (29) of Mamelodi Sundowns scored.
Ghana continued to press and Alice Kusi’s header rebounded off the crossbar and long-serving South Africa shot-stopper Andile Dlamini conceded an own goal. The Black Queens had lost the group game between the two teams in their opening Group C match (2-0). Ghana have won the four third place play-offs they qualified for while South Africa have lost four of five bronze medals matches.
In the championship final in front of 21,000 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco raced to a 2-0 lead within the first 30 minutes, but Nigeria stormed back in the second half, with three goals in the last 30 minutes, to triumph and take their 10th African continental crown.
Morocco was in rampant style in the first half with goals by Chebbak in the 12th minute and Sanaa Mssoudy (25) of ASFAR in the 24th minute. Nigeria had more possession in the opening half than Morocco, but managed only one shot on target and it did not trouble goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi (35), also at ASFAR. The second half was a different story as, in the 64th minute, Okoronkwo sent Er-Rmichi the wrong way from a penalty after a VAR review captured Folashade Ijamilusi’s cross striking the hand of Moroccan defender Nouhaila Benzina (27) of ASFAR.
Seven minutes later, the score was level when Okoronkwo fed Ijamilusi a ball that she scored with from close range. Substitute Jennifer Echegini (24) scored Nigeria’s third goal in the 88th minute from a free-kick by the ever influential Esther Okoronkwo, who scored the first goal (her second of the tournament), created the second and assisted on the winning goal. Echegini was born in Netherlands, played collegiately at Mississippi State and Florida State Universities and is in her second year of a three year deal at Paris St. Germain in France.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) filed an official complain with CAF about “refereeing injustices” during the WAFCON Final. They referenced that a clear penalty against Nigeria was not awarded in the 82nd minute, when the score was still 2-2, for a handball by a Nigerian defender. After a VAR check, the referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa of Namibia continued play.
Throughout the tournament, Nigerian interim head coach Justin Madugu of Nigeria was not afraid to change his roster, particularly in attack. He even changed starting forwards, starting Esther Okoronkwo (28)—who plays with AFC Toronto in the new Northern Super League in Canada after time with clubs in China, France and Spain—instead of Bay FC’s Asisat Oshoala (who scored in the fourth minute of their tournament opening 3-0 win over Tunisia on July 6); Okoronkwo scored two goals in the 2024 WAFCON and now has scored 9 goals in 23 full internationals at the end of the tournament.
After Nigeria won the 2024 WAFCON title, Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, said that the government will give each of the Super Falcons squad members a three-bedroom apartments and $100,000. We hope that the players receive these well-earned rewards, but past men’s and women’s football teams in Nigeria and other countries have been stiffed of bonuses and payments. Nigeria can start a new trend by following through on President’s Tinubu’s promise.
Madugu explained his approach: “We are trying to get the best out of everybody. We do have our own gameplan, and we look at the opposition to determine who starts, who comes on and what happens. Depending also how the game goes, (it) informs the decisions that we have to take.”
He established the team goal of ‘Mission X’ to win their tenth CAF regional championship and accomplished that goal, despite not having ever coached a national team, which some had criticized before the tournament. Madugu should by rewarded with the job on a permanent basis and Nigeria’s success sent a clear message that there is local coaching talent on the continent that should be given a chance, rather than the seemingly endless number of foreign coaches brought in ahead of major tournaments.
In the Golden Boot race, Chizlane Chebbak of Morocco led all the teams’ scorers with five goals. Nguenar Ndiaye of Senegal (30) was second with four goals (see more below). A quartet tied for third with 3 goals: the Zambian NWSL due of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, along with Ibissam Jbaidi of Morocco and Chinwendu Ihezuo of Nigeria.
The CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Team of the Tournament had six players from the finalists—four from winners Nigeria and two from Morocco—with all 11 from the semifinalists. Champions Nigeria’s four players included: Chiamaka Nnadozie, who was the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper, Player of the Tournament Rasheedat Ajibade, championship final goal scorer Esther Okoronkwo and Michelle Alozie. Ghizlane Chebbak and Ibtissam Jraidi were selected from runners-up Morocco. Other players honored include fourth place South Africa’s Karabo Dhlamini, Bambanani Mbane, and Refiloe Jane. Third place side Ghana’s Grace Asantewaa and Portia Boakye also made the Best XI.
There were concerns by some media members that this year’s WAFCON in Morocco was a lower priority compared to 2022, as a number of the top stadiums were being renovated for the upcoming AFCON at the turn of the year as well as the 2030 World Cup. Morocco’s run to the final again did excite local fans, though some of the group games had low crowds. Hopefully, the 2026 WAFCON in less than a year will have more fan and media eyes, as it will decide the CAF qualifiers for the 2027 WWC in Brazil.
Notes on all 12 Teams
Group A
Morocco
Morocco utilized players based in six countries: Spain (5), France (4), Switzerland (2), Saudi Arabia (2), Belgium (1) and 12 at home in Morocco. French-raised Moroccan international midfielder Salma Almani (35), who we interviewed a few months ago (see: The Week in Women's Football: Exclusive with Brooklyn FC defender Amani; Hayes questions; examining SheBelieves Cup - TribalFootball.com) was not included on the final roster—but missed a significant number of the USL Super League season with injury issues.
Midfielder and team captain Ghizlane Chebbak (34), who led the tournament in scoring, continued to show how valuable she is to the team and the sport in Morocco and North Africa/West Asia. Her father Larbi was a member of the 1976 side that won the country’s only AFCON title. She grew up playing in the streets of Casablanca and playing with a boys’ team, until joining a senior women’s side at 13 and then the senior Moroccan side at 17.
She played briefly in Egypt but left the country during the Arab Spring protests and started playing with ASFAR in Rabat in 2012 in the then four year old women’s league. In 12 seasons at ASFAR, she won 10 league titles, finished as the league’s Golden Boot winner six times and was the league’s player of the season three times. One season she scored 54 goals in 20 matches. She is now with Levante in Spain.
No country in the world has transformed their women’s football scene as quickly as Morocco has. It is stunning to see how Morocco has advanced so far in a few years to become the top team in the middle east/West Asia, when Jordan would have had that mantle in the past. In 2020, Morocco had no professional players.
They now have a top tier and second division women’s professional leagues. King Mohamed VI wanted women’s football to develop and the federation helped to fund each club team in the country, for player, coaches and staff salaries and even to help develop training facilities. The Federation’s budget for women’s football increased from $1 million to $64 million a year thanks to the King’s involvement.
Players in the top two tiers earn $350 a month from Federation funds, and then clubs can add to those salaries—the U.S., Canadian and Mexican football federations did the same thing for a few years when the NWSL started, paying for a set number of national team players, allowing the NWSL team owners to have a lower cost of entry into the league. The federation gave the Atlas Lionesses access to the men’s training site—the Mohamed VI Training Complex—which is one of the best football training sites in the world, with a quartet of five-star hotels, eight full-side fields (one indoor) as well as futsal and beach soccer pitches, an Olympic size swimming pool, a sports hospital with rehabilitation and sports science equipment ranging from cryotherapy chambers to an isokinetic lab.
We still are a bit unnerved that Morocco hired Jorge Vilda as head coach, who won the 2023 WWC with Spain but was seen by players as inconsistent and dictatorial and a backer of Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales, who is now suspended after he kissed Spanish player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the 2023 WWC Finals medals award ceremony. Vilda has brought a more ball control type of style to the team. Vilda was acutely aware of Morocco’s huge expectations ahead of the 2024 WAFCON, telling CAF’s website: “It’s not a negative pressure. It’s a huge desire to do well.
Winning a World Cup (was) the result of the work of many people over many years … Here, we are in a different reality, but I think that in almost two years, we have contributed to the progress of the selection and Moroccan women’s football. We are very keen to see this translated into results, even if we know that it takes time to achieve this.”
I’m going to predict that the Moroccan federation will keep Vilda through at least the next Cup of Nations next spring and through the 2027 WWC—assuming that they should (easily) qualify. If Morocco can again make the knockout stage at the FIFA finals, he could end up coaching again in Europe or even in America (eek!) even though his coaching style and attitude tends to be particularly polarizing. Morocco, for whatever reason, handed him a lifeline after his coaching career seemed in the rubbish tip. He is a WWC winner and that tends to be the only thing some football officials will focus on.
Zambia
Over half of Zambia’s roster play at home (13 of 24) with others in the U.S. (4), China (4), Turkey (2) and Israel (1). Their head coach for the tournament was former Switzerland international player Nora Hauptle, who played for clubs at home and in Netherlands and has coached Switzerland’s U-19 women’s national team and was head coach of the women’s national teams of Israel and Ghana (2023-2025); she was appointed by Zambia in January of this year, replacing the ever controversial and contentious Bruce Mwape, who had been in charge since 2018. Unfortunately, she has had to report Zambia’s FA to FIFA, as she has not received her salary for several months.
Senegal
Senegal announced their 24-player squad in late June with players based with clubs in: France (8), Turkey (2) Morocco (1), Spain (1), U.S. (1 in college), and domestically in Senegal (11).
Striker Nguenar Ndiaye (28) was a revelation during the tournament with her four goals; she plays at French third-division club Bourges Foot 18 and led the third tier league in scoring in 2024-25 with 19 goals. She started off playing with boys at home, which was not well received by her parents. She told a Confederation of African Football reporter a few years ago that: “Playing football is really difficult, but it’s also very rewarding. It’s very holy, and it doesn’t prevent you from living your life as a woman of your time.”
On July 30, forward Mama Diop (30) signed with RC Strasbourg in France’s D1 Arkema for one season on a free transfer. In three seasons with Marseille, the Lionesses of Teranga captain scored 44 goals in 69 matches across all competitions, helping the team to promotion to D1 at the end of last season.
DR Congo
DR Congo had 24 players called into the tournament from nations in Africa, Asia, Europe and CONCACAF: France (9), Saudi Arabia (4), China (1), Congo (1) Mexico (1), Sweden (1), Turkey (1) and DR Congo (6).
DRC was missing their key player in the first game for suspension: Paris Saint-Germain forward Merveille Kanjinga (22), who joined the side in January 2025 after winning the African Women’s Champions League in 2024 and three DR Congo league titles with TP Mazembe. She came back to score in DR Congo’s second group match, a 4-2 loss to Morocco.
Group B
Nigeria
Nigeria’s 24 player squad includes player from Africa, Europe, CONCACAF and Asia. The squad brings in players from clubs in 13 countries the U.S. (4—2 in the NWSL, 1 in the Super League and 1 in college), France (3), Nigeria (3), Mexico (2), Saudi Arabia (2), Spain (2), and one each in Canada (1), China (1), Italy (1), Sweden (1), England (1) Portugal (1), and Turkey (1), with one out of contract—goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi (38), who played in Saudi Arabia with Eastern Flames in 2023-24 and has played for clubs in Belarus, Israel, Norway, Spain, Turkey as well as at home in Nigeria.
Michelle Alozie (28) plays at the back for the Super Falcons but is a forward for her club side the Houston Dash. She scored the 94th minute winner in the 2-1 semifinal win over South Africa.
Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie (23), the current CAF top goalkeeper award winner, has joined Brighton and Hove Albion of England’s Women’s Super League for 2025-26 from Paris FC on a free transfer, and signed a four year deal. She moves to the WSL after winning the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations title in the July 2025 tournament and was named the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament (see above). Nnadozie has experience in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, having made 16 appearances in the club tournament for Paris FC between 2022 and 2025.
Brighton’s manager, former Australian international Dario Vidosic, who joined Brighton in 2024-25 from Melbourne City—where he won a A-League Premiership (regular season title) and made the Grand Final in 2023/24 in one and one-half seasons with the club—and took Brighton to fifth place last season, which was the club’s best ever WSL finish, said about Nandozie: “She’s a talented and commanding goalkeeper who will bring consistency and confidence to our defensive line … We’re confident she’ll add both depth and drive to a squad already full of ambition as we continue to build for next season.” She played with Paris FC since 2020.
Nnadozie said on social media about her move to Brighton and the WSL: “I want to win trophies, win games. Most importantly, to help the team achieve great things. It feels so great. I’m really excited to be joining this great club.”
She had been linked with Everton in the WSL as well. Brighton is well placed to challenge Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester clubs United and City for cups and even—in a year or two—a WCL spot; and Nnadozie will be a big part of those ambitions, as many rate her among the top five goalkeepers in the world. Before last season, Brighton had finished sixth in the WSL in 2020-21, their previous best finish in the league. Nandozie joined Paris FC in January 2020 from Rivers Angels in the Nigeria Women’s Football League.
In the French capital, Nnadozie made over 85 appearances, keeping 38 clean sheets, and was a key figure in securing consecutive top-three finishes behind powerhouses Lyon and PSG. In the 2023-24 UEFA WCL, she saved three penalties in a dramatic shootout win over Arsenal to help Paris FC reach the group stage for the first time in club history. She was named Goalkeeper of the Season in France’s Division 1 Féminine for the 2023/24 campaign, after saving a seven penalties during the season, the best total in European women’s football that season. Internationally for the Super Falcons, she has featured at two FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2019 and 2023 and one Olympic Games in 2024. At the 2019 WWC in France, she posted a shutout in Nigeria's 2-0 victory over Korea Republic to become the youngest goalkeeper in WWC history to record a clean sheet.
Tunisia
Tunisia’s 24 players come from clubs in France (8), Saudi Arabia (4), Morocco (2), Netherlands (2), Italy (1), Sweden (1) and at home in Tunisia (5), with one a free agent—forward Chada Ayadi (32), who is out of contract after playing two seasons in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, after time spent with clubs in Jordan and Lebanon.
Algeria
Algeria’s 26 player squad is comprised of over 60% playing in France (16), with the rest based with clubs at home in Algeria (4), Sweden (2), Canada (1), Saudi Arabia (1), Switzerland (1) and UAE (1).
Goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi was arguably one of the revelations of the 2024 WAFCON. We could see her moving from Marseille, who won promotion from the second tier in 2024-25 to the Premiere Ligue, to a bigger club in France, Spain or even England. Marsellie last year used four players from Haiti, long with two each from Algeria and Senegal.
Botswana
The majority of Botswana’s roster is based at home (18), with players from abroad coming from South Africa (3), Turkey (2), Namibia (1), the U.S. (1 in college) and Zambia (1).
Group C
South Africa
South Africa’s roster is three-quarters based at home (18) in the very competitive SA Women’s League, with four other countries represented on the roster: Mexico (3), DR Congo (1), Denmark (1) and Scotland (1).
Reigning champions South Africa and their long-time head coach Desiree Ellis originally named a 24 player roster for the Women’s Nations Cup, with Nthabiseng Majiya and Casey Gordon named as standby players ahead of the Morocco trip. South Africa’s Football Association (SAFA) has been in dispute with the players on payments and general team funding. Before the tournament, the squad was reduced by two players, with Adrielle Mibe (18) not making the trip.
Mibe has signed with Arizona State University in the States and TribalFootball.com will catch up with her during the 2025 college season. Just before leaving for ASU, Mibe guided the University of Johannesburg to victory at the 2025 Engen Knockout Challenge, Gauteng leg, and was named the Midfielder of the Tournament and the Player of the Tournament. She also won the Engen title in 2022 and 2023. She has played with South Africa at the U-17, U-20 and senior levels and been compared to Spain’s 2023 WWC winner Salma Paralluelo for her speed and creativity in attack.
In addition to not paying players their allowances and bonuses on time or their agreed upon amounts, with the squad even boycotting a training session before the tournament—along with complaints over facilities and logistics on trips—head coach Desiree Ellis has been out of contract for seven months, which is scandalous; she is respected around the world for how she has developed the game in South Africa and in particular the WNT.
Even after winning the 2022 WAFCON for the first time ever, Glasgow City’s Linda Motlhalo told the Guardian’s Moving the Goalposts that, “not a lot has changed, especially in terms of investing in women’s football.” The South African domestic league is not professional, though it is a destination league for women’s players around the region. The SAFA needs to step up their investment and treatment of the women’s national teams, like other nations are doing on the continent, or they could struggle to make future Women’s World Cups, after making two consecutive tournament and making the Round of 16 in 2023.
Banyana Banyana badly missed Thembi Kgatlana (29) of Tigres UANL, who withdrew from the side prior to the tournament to take “a pre-arranged leave of absence.”
She explained on social media: “My absence from the tournament has drawn speculation, but I want to simply clarify that I am taking a pre-arranged leave of absence from all football for personal reasons. I love representing my country and will do so again in the future. To Tigres fans concerned that I have not returned to Mexico, I will see you all again very soon and will continue to give my all for the shirt. There is nothing to worry about and no deeper story. Thank you for all the concerns.”
Ghana
Ghana’s 24 player roster included players with clubs in Europe, West Asia, North and Central America and Africa, in Israel (5), Ghana (5), United States (4—2 in the NWSL, 1 in the USL Super League and 1 in college), Saudi Arabia (2), United Arab Emirates (1), England (1), Germany (1), Hungary (1), Malta (1), Mexico (1), Norway (1) and Portugal (1).
Ghana defeated Benin 4-2 in a pre-tournament friendly in Benslimane, Morocco after defeating Malawi 3-1 in the same venue. However, just before the tournament, also in Benslimane, they fell to Nigeria 3-1.
Midfielder Stella Nyamekye (19) plays at Gotham FC in the NWSL. She was selected for the Ghanian WNT even though she has only played 24 minutes across two matches. She was captain of the under-20 national team when they competed in the 2022 U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica, starting each of the team’s group stage matches. Nyamekye scored two goals and recorded one assist in that tournament but the team lost all of their three group matches; she earned her first senior call-up in 2023.
Alice Kusi (30) has played for clubs in Ghana, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, where she currently plays with Al-Ahli and finished the tournament with two goals.
For Ghana, new head coach and former Racing Louisville manager Kim Björkegren—who has coached at Racing Louisville in 2022-23 and won league titles at home in Sweden (Linkoping FC), Cyprus (Apollon Limassol FC) and China (Beijing BG Phoenix)—talked about the potential in the side that ultimately finished in third place this summer: “Ghana has so much talent. It’s something in the DNA. If you can add 5% of the Swedish organization (where he is fun), we’re going to have a team that is good, not just in Africa, but in the world…
“I'm from Sweden and we're almost the opposite of Ghana; we’re actually not so talented (in Sweden). But we get better because we have a tradition to work hard in training, to be tactical, to have discipline, to eat the right things, to sleep at the right hours and all those kinds of things. That's why the Swedish team, at the end of the day, they are good. But they are not so good when you’re looking at the (Swedish) youth team.”
Mali
Mali brought 21 players to Morocco, with nine based in France, three in Morocco, and one each in China, Ivory Coast, Spain, Tanzania, with five playing for clubs in Mali.
After the African Finals, forward Aissata Traore (27) signed with the 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy on a three-year contract through the 2028 NWSL season. She will be the first player from Mali in the NWSL. She will continue to play with FC Fleury 91 in France through the end of 2025 and then join Legacy for their 2026 preseason.
She scored nine goals and had four assists in 20 games last season in her first season with the club—she has played in France since 2019. She has also played in Turkey with Bestiktas, winning a league title. She has played for Mali since 2018, when the team made the semifinals at the WAFCON Finals.
Tanzania
Of Tanzania’s 25 player roster, 18 play at home in Tanzania in their strong league which attracts players from throughout Eastern Africa, while 3 are with clubs in Mexico, 2 play in Egypt, with one each coming from Saudia Arabia and Turkey.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women’s football. Get your copy today. Follow Tim on X: @TimGrainey