Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and Malawi have secured places at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil by reaching the semi-finals of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
South Africa miss out on automatic qualification
Hosts Morocco beat South Africa 2-1 in a quarter-final that also served as a World Cup qualifying match, denying Banyana Banyana an automatic berth. The result means South Africa must now seek a route to the global showpiece through the intercontinental play-offs if they are to reach Brazil.
WAFCON's format grants World Cup places to the four teams that reach the semi-finals; with those spots now taken, the contest for the remaining African slots moves to the play-off route.
How the quarter-finals unfolded
- Algeria beat Ivory Coast 2-1, with goals from Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham. The Ivorian side were reduced to 10 players after N'Sira Oudraogo was sent off when Ivory Coast held a 1-0 lead.
- Morocco defeated South Africa 2-1, with Sakina Ouzraoui Diki and Hanane Ait El Haj on the scoresheet for the hosts.
- Cameroon edged Nigeria 1-0 thanks to a remarkable 30-yard free-kick from 19-year-old Myriam Nyadjou.
- Malawi produced one of the tournament's biggest shocks, overturning Ghana to win 2-1 after falling behind; goals from Temwa Chawinga and Rose Kadzere completed the comeback. Malawi enter the last four despite being ranked 153rd in the world.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Wednesday, with Morocco facing Cameroon and Algeria taking on Malawi.
Second chance via the play-offs
The four nations eliminated in the quarter-finals — Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and South Africa — still retain a path to the World Cup. According to the tournament schedule, Ivory Coast will meet Ghana on Thursday and Nigeria will play South Africa; the two winners from those ties will progress to the 10-nation intercontinental play-offs in November and December.
From that pool of 10 teams, only three will advance to the 32-team World Cup that opens on 24 June 2027 and concludes on 25 July 2027 in Brazil.
Wider qualification picture
With the WAFCON semi-finalists now booked for Brazil, the list of confirmed teams for the 2027 Women's World Cup stands at 18 nations, including several from other confederations reported as already qualified:
| Confederation | Qualified sides (as reported) |
|---|---|
| Africa | Algeria, Cameroon, Malawi, Morocco |
| Asia | Australia, China, Japan, North Korea, Philippines, South Korea |
| Europe | Denmark, France, Germany, Spain |
| Oceania | New Zealand |
| South America | Argentina |
European play-offs remain wide open: England, Republic of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all still in contention, each facing two rounds of two-legged ties between October and December to try to earn a place in Brazil.
What this means for South Africa
For Banyana Banyana the immediate consequence is clear: they did not secure direct qualification and must navigate a precarious two-stage route if they are to reach next summer's World Cup. The first task is overcoming Nigeria in the quarter-final repechage, a tie that will carry huge weight in the coming days. Failure would see South Africa eliminated from the automatic and play-off paths outlined by the tournament's qualification rules.
Meanwhile, the continental drama in Morocco has delivered a mix of expected and startling outcomes — established sides such as Cameroon and Morocco progressed as favourites, while Algeria reached the World Cup for the first time and Malawi provided one of the tournament's most memorable upsets.
