WAFCON 2026: 8 countries eliminated after group stage

Eight countries have exited the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after the conclusion of the group stage in Morocco.

The eliminated teams are Mali, Zambia, Cape Verde, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt and Burkina Faso, leaving eight nations to compete for the continental title and the four available places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Mali become latest team to exit

Mali became the final team to be eliminated after drawing 1-1 with Ghana in their last Group D match on Thursday.

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The result saw Mali finish third in the group behind leaders Cameroon and second-placed Ghana, who both advanced to the quarter-finals.

Earlier on Thursday, Cameroon secured top spot in Group D with seven points after a 1-1 draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde, who exited the competition despite earning their first-ever point at a WAFCON finals.

Quarter-final line-up confirmed

The completion of the group stage confirmed the last-eight fixtures, with defending champions Nigeria set to face Cameroon in one of the standout ties.

Hosts Morocco will take on defending runners-up South Africa, while Ivory Coast meet Algeria. Ghana will face Malawi in the remaining quarter-final.

The winners of the four quarter-final matches will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Countries eliminated from WAFCON 2026

The eight teams eliminated after the group stage are:

Mali
Zambia
Cape Verde
Senegal
Kenya
Tanzania
Egypt
Burkina Faso