Women's Africa Cup of Nations

The Women's Africa Cup of Nations, also called the TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons and abbreviated to WAFCON, is an international women's football competition held every two years and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was first contested in 1991, but was not held biennially until 1998. Nigeria is the most successful nation in the tournament's history, having won a record 11 titles, meaning they have won all but three of the previous tournaments. The three tournaments not won by Nigeria were won by Equatorial Guinea and South Africa; Equatorial Guinea won the two competitions in which it were the host.

For the men's tournament, see Africa Cup of Nations.
Women’s Africa Cup of Nations
Organising bodyCAF
Founded1991 (1991)
RegionAfrica
Number of teams12 (finals)
Current champions South Africa (1st title)
Most successful team(s) Nigeria (11 titles)
Websitecafonline.com/womenscupnations
2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations
The opening ceremony in 2016
Tournaments

The competition has served as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women's World Cup every other tournament since its inception in 1991.

History

In 2000, hosts South Africa met three-time champions Nigeria in the final game of the tournament. After Nigeria finished the first half ahead 1–0, Nigeria's Stella Mbachu scored a second goal in the 72nd minute and the home crowd realized there was no coming back. Supporters began hurling bottles and other debris at officials and Nigerian players. The match was abandoned after three attempts at restarts were all interrupted by further disturbances. Riot police began fighting battles with bottle-throwing supporters about 40 minutes after the goal had been allowed, throwing tear gas into the crowd to break up the disturbance. The game and the tournament were awarded to Nigeria. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

Nomination

On 6 August 2015, the CAF Executive Committee decided to change the name of the tournament from the African Women's Championship to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, similar to the men's version, Africa Cup of Nations.[2]

Sponsorship

In July 2016, Total has secured an eight-year sponsorship package from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to support 10 of its principal competitions.[3] In 2021, Total was rebranded to TotalEnergies but it retained its sponsorship for CAF competitions. Due to this sponsorship, the Africa Women Cup of Nations is named "TotalEnergies Africa Women Cup of Nations".

Format

Since the 1998 edition, this competition has been held in two phases: a qualification phase (or called the elimination phase) and a final tournament. The host country of the final tournament is automatically qualified, and in the first editions the defending champion was also qualified for the following tournament.

Qualifying

The qualification phase has evolved over time according to the increasing number of nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was set up from 1998, during the first two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations,...............

Final phase

Only the hosts received an automatic qualification spot, with the other 11 teams qualifying through a qualification tournament. At the finals, the 12 teams were drawn into three groups of four teams each. The teams in each group played a single round robin.

After the group stage, the top two teams and the two best third-placed teams advanced to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals advanced to the semi-finals. The losers of the semi-finals played in a third place play-off, while winners of the semi-finals played in the final.

Trophy and medals

Throughout the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, three trophies have been awarded to the winners of the competition

Results
Ed. Year Host nation Final Semi-finals Losers
Winner Score Second place
1 1991 Home sites
Nigeria		 2–0
Cameroon
Guinea		 and
Zambia (withdrew)
4–0
2 1995 Home sites
Nigeria		 4–1
South Africa
Angola		 and
Ghana
7–1
Ed. Year Host nation Final Third place match
Winner Score Second place Third place Score Fourth place
31998  Nigeria
Nigeria		 2–0
Ghana
DR Congo		 3–3 (a.e.t.)
(3–1 p)
Cameroon
42000  South Africa
Nigeria		 2–0 (abd)
South Africa
Ghana		 6–3
Zimbabwe
52002  Nigeria
Nigeria		 2–0
Ghana
Cameroon		 3–0
South Africa
62004  South Africa
Nigeria		 5–0
Cameroon
Ghana		 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p)
Ethiopia
72006  Nigeria
Nigeria		 1–0
Ghana
South Africa		 2–2
(5–4 p)
Cameroon
82008  Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea		 2–1
South Africa
Nigeria		 1–1
(5–4 p)
Cameroon
92010  South Africa
Nigeria		 4–2
Equatorial Guinea
South Africa		 2–0
Cameroon
102012  Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea		 4–0
South Africa
Cameroon		 1–0
Nigeria
112014  Namibia
Nigeria		 2–0
Cameroon
Ivory Coast		 1–0
South Africa
122016  Cameroon[4]
Nigeria		 1–0
Cameroon
Ghana		 1–0
South Africa
132018  Ghana
Nigeria		 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)
South Africa
Cameroon		 4–2
Mali
–2020 (Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)[1]
142022  Morocco[5]
South Africa		 2–1
Morocco
Zambia		 1–0
Nigeria
152024  Morocco[6] TBD TBD

Note: abd – match abandoned in the 73rd minute

Statistics

Teams reaching the top four
Team Winners Runners-up Third-place Fourth-place Total top four
 Nigeria 11 (1991, 1995, 1998*, 2000, 2002*, 2004, 2006*, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018) – 1 (2008) 2 (2012, 2022) 14
 Equatorial Guinea 2 (2008*, 2012*) 1 (2010) – – 3
 South Africa 1 (2022) 5 (1995, 2000*, 2008, 2012, 2018) 2 (2006, 2010*) 3 (2002, 2014, 2016) 11
 Cameroon – 4 (1991, 2004, 2014, 2016*) 3 (2002, 2012, 2018) 4 (1998, 2006, 2008, 2010) 11
 Ghana – 3 (1998, 2002, 2006) 4 (1995**, 2000, 2004, 2016) – 7
 Morocco – 1 (2022*) – – 1
 Guinea – – 1 (1991**) – 1
 Angola – – 1 (1995**) – 1
 DR Congo – – 1 (1998) – 1
 Ivory Coast – – 1 (2014) – 1
 Zambia – – 1 (2022) – 1
 Zimbabwe – – – 1 (2000) 1
 Ethiopia – – – 1 (2004) 1
 Mali – – – 1 (2018) 1
* hosts
** losing semi-finals

Summary (1991–2022)
Rank Team Part M W D L GF GA GD Points
1 Nigeria1473579722332+191180
2 South Africa13623182310283+19101
3 Cameroon13582414207383-1086
4 Ghana1240197146445+1964
5 Equatorial Guinea52113264639+741
6 Morocco3125251427-1317
7 Mali72352162559-3417
8 Zambia4144461928-916
9 Zimbabwe4142571328-1511
10 Ivory Coast283141515010
11 DR Congo3112361431-179
12 Senegal2721449-57
13 Ethiopia311146624-187
14 Algeria51521121339-267
15 Uganda26123713-65
16 Tunisia27115710-34
17 Botswana1410357-23
18 Namibia1310235-23
19 Congo1310236-33
20 Egypt26105321-183
21 Angola2502369-32
22 Burkina Faso1301224-21
23 Togo1301239-61
24 Mozambique100000000
25 Tanzania1300338-50
26 Réunion1300327-50
27 Guinea1200207-70
28 Burundi13003311-80
29 Kenya13003210-80
30 Sierra Leone12002011-110

Top scorers (Golden boot) by year
Player Country Year of Tournament Number of goals Ref
Nkiru Okosieme  Nigeria 1998 3 goals
Mercy Akide  Nigeria 2000 7 goals
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2002 4 goals [7]
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2004 9 goals
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2006 7 goals
Genoveva Añonma  Equatorial Guinea 2008 6 goals [8]
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2010 11 goals
Genoveva Añonma  Equatorial Guinea 2012 6 goals
Desire Oparanozie  Nigeria 2014 5 goals
Asisat Oshoala  Nigeria 2016 6 goals
Thembi Kgatlana  South Africa 2018 5 goals
Ghizlane Chebbak
Rasheedat Ajibade
Hildah Magaia		  Morocco
 Nigeria
 South Africa		 2022 3 goals

Best player (Golden ball) by year
Player Country Year of Tournament Ref
1998
2000
2002
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2004 [9]
Portia Modise  South Africa 2006 [10]
Genoveva Añonma  Equatorial Guinea 2008 [11]
Stella Mbachu  Nigeria 2010 [12]
2012
Asisat Oshoala  Nigeria 2014 [13]
Gabrielle Onguéné  Cameroon 2016 [14]
Thembi Kgatlana  South Africa 2018
Ghizlane Chebbak  Morocco 2022

Hat-tricks
Main article: List of Africa Women Cup of Nations hat-tricks

Participating nations
Legend
Team
1991
1995		 Nigeria
1998		 South Africa
2000		 Nigeria
2002		 South Africa
2004		 Nigeria
2006		 Equatorial Guinea
2008		 South Africa
2010		 Equatorial Guinea
2012		 Namibia
2014		 Cameroon
2016		 Ghana
2018		 Morocco
2022		 Morocco
2024		 Years
 Algeria ××ו×GSGS•GS×GS•GS• 5
 Angola ×SF××GSוו××ו 2
 Botswana ×××××××××××××QF 1
 Burkina Faso ×××××××××××××GS 1
 Burundi ×××××××××××××GS 1
 Cameroon 2nd×4thGS3rd2nd4th4th4th3rd2nd2nd3rdQF 13
 Congo ×××ו•GS×××ו• 1
 DR Congo ××3rdו×GS••GS×××× 3
 Egypt ××GS•×ו×ו•GS• 2
 Equatorial Guinea ×××ו•GS1st2nd1st••GS• 5
 Ethiopia ××××GS4th×וGS•••• 3
 Ghana QFSF2nd3rd2nd3rd2ndGSGS•GS3rdGS• 12
 Guinea SFו×ו••••×•×• 1
 Ivory Coast ×××וו••GS3rd••• 2
 Kenya ×××××ו××וGS•• 1
 Mali ××××GSGSGSGSGS••GS4th• 7
 Morocco ××GSGS•×•••••••2ndQ 4
 Mozambique ××××ו×ו××ו 0
 Namibia ×××××ו•••GS••• 1
 Nigeria 1st1st1st1st1st1st1st3rd1st4th1st1st1st4th 14
 Réunion ×××GS×××××××××× 1
 Senegal ××ו••••GS•••QF 2
 Sierra Leone ×QF×××××ו×××ו 1
 South Africa ×2ndGS2nd4thGS3rd2nd3rd2nd4th4th2nd1st 13
 Tanzania ×××ו•••GS••••• 1
 Togo ×××××××××××××GS 1
 Tunisia ×××××××GS••••QF 2
 Uganda ×וGS•×××ו××GS 2
 Zambia QF×וו•×•GS•GS3rd 4
 Zimbabwe ××4thGSGSוו•GS•• 4
Total (30 Teams)467888888888812

Most tournaments hosted
HostsNationYear(s)
3 times Nigeria1998, 2002, 2006
 South Africa2000, 2004, 2010
2 times Equatorial Guinea2008, 2012
 Morocco2022, 2024
1 time Namibia2014
 Cameroon2016
 Ghana2018

See also

References
  1. "2020 Africa women's cup of nations cancelled". Goal.com. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  2. "Decisions of CAF Executive Committee on 6 August 2015". CAF. 9 August 2015.
  3. AfricaNews (2017-04-18). "Total to sponsor CAF competitions for the next eight years". Africanews. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2014-10-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Decisions of CAF Executive Committee – 15 January 2021". CAF. 15 January 2021.
  6. "Again, CAF approves Morocco as WAFCON host In 2024". blueprint.ng. 10 August 2022.
  7. "2002 AWC". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  8. "Banyana striker crowned Woman Footballer of the Year". Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  9. "Star bio: Nigeria's Perpetua Nkwocha". Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  10. "Portia Modise: Centurion in numbers". Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  11. "SA second Ref". Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  12. "Africa Women Championship". Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  13. http://sportpageng.com/asisat-oshoala-caf-awards-good-for-my-career/%5B%5D
  14. "- CRTV". Archived from the original on 2016-12-30. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
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