The African qualification process for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup CAF Qualifiers began on February 19, 2025, and will continue until February 2027. This qualification is exclusive to teams that are members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Four direct slots plus two play-off spots are available for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup African Qualifiers in the final tournament in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil.
In CAF, FIFA-affiliated women’s football associations participate in the qualification process through the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. For qualification rounds, all 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations were eligible, though only 38 teams registered. The most recent FIFA Women’s World Ranking was used for seedings.
In the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup CAF (Africa), four teams were allocated – Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Morocco for the final round. This time, the 2027 Women’s World Cup features 32 teams, with 4 direct slots plus 2 play-off spots for African nations. Here are updates of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualification process for African Qualifiers below.
2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup African Qualifiers
Table of Contents
All the rounds and match days with Dates
| Round | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First round | First leg | 19–26 February 2025 |
| Second leg | 19–26 February 2025 | |
| Second round (Women’s AFCON Qualifiers) | First leg | 22–28 October 2025 |
| Second leg | 22–28 October 2025 | |
| Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 | Final Tournament | 2026 (Morocco) |
| Inter-confederation play-offs | 2 teams | November 2026 – February 2027 |
Qualification Format
The African qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup use the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as the qualifying tournament. The format consists of:
- First Round: 32 lower-ranked teams competed in home-and-away two-legged ties (February 2025)
- Second Round: 16 first-round winners joined 6 teams with byes in home-and-away ties (October 2025)
- Women’s AFCON 2026: 11 second-round winners plus hosts Morocco compete in final tournament
- World Cup Qualification: Top 4 teams from WAFCON 2026 qualify directly for 2027 Women’s World Cup
- Play-off Spots: 2 additional teams from WAFCON 2026 advance to inter-confederation play-offs
Teams with Direct Bye to Second Round
Six top-ranked African teams received byes to the second round based on FIFA Women’s World Rankings:
- Nigeria (Rank: 36)
- South Africa (Rank: 50)
- Zambia (Rank: 62)
- Ghana (Rank: 66)
- Cameroon (Rank: 69)
- Ivory Coast (Rank: 71)
Second Round Qualified Teams (2026 WAFCON)
The following teams advanced from the first round to compete for spots in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations:
| S No | Team | Qualified From | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria | First Round | Second Round |
| 2 | Egypt | First Round | Second Round |
| 3 | Tunisia | First Round | Second Round |
| 4 | Mali | First Round | Second Round |
| 5 | Senegal | First Round | Second Round |
| 6 | DR Congo | First Round | Second Round |
| 7 | Tanzania | First Round | Second Round |
| 8 | Angola | First Round | Second Round |
| 9 | Zimbabwe | First Round | Second Round |
| 10 | Ethiopia | First Round | Second Round |
| 11 | Malawi | First Round | Second Round |
Key Second Round Matches (October 2025)
Important second-round qualifying matches include:
- Egypt vs Ghana: First leg 0-3 (Ghana leads)
- Algeria vs Cameroon: First leg 2-1 (Algeria leads)
- DR Congo vs South Africa: First leg 1-1 (Tied)
- Tanzania vs Ethiopia: First leg 2-0 (Tanzania leads)
- Angola vs Malawi: First leg 0-0 (Tied)
Path to 2027 Women’s World Cup
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will determine African representatives at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil:
- Direct Qualification (4 teams): The four semi-finalists of the 2026 Women’s AFCON will qualify directly for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup
- Play-off Route (2 teams): Two additional African teams will advance to inter-confederation play-offs based on WAFCON 2026 performance
Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026
All the teams qualified from the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup African Qualifiers.
Qualification
| Team | Method of qualification | Date of qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | Hosts | 17 October 2024 |
| Zambia | Second round winners | 26 October 2025 |
Group round
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morocco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | A2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | A4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | B2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | B4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | C2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | C3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | C4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ranking of third-place teams
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | B | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | C | C3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Knockout round
- Quarter-finals
- Play-in matches
- Semi-finals
- Third place
- Final
Qualified teams
- Team 1
- Team 2
- Team 3
- Team 4
Inter-confederation Play-offs
Two CAF representatives will compete against teams from AFC, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, OFC, and UEFA in a play-off tournament (November 2026 – February 2027). Three teams from this tournament will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
First Goal of Qualification
The first goal of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification series was scored by Laura Taleb Muller of Algeria against South Sudan on February 19, 2025, in the historic opening match of African qualifying.
How many African teams qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup?
2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup African Qualifiers: Africa has been allocated 4 direct slots plus 2 inter-confederation play-off spots (total potential of 6 teams) for the final tournament in Brazil. This represents a significant opportunity for African women’s football on the world stage.
Which African teams have the best chance of qualifying?
Based on current form and rankings, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco (hosts of WAFCON 2026), and Algeria are considered strong contenders for the 2027 Women’s World Cup slots.
