Following the conclusion of the quarter-final matches at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire remain in contention for a place at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The four African giants will now compete through the play-in stage, where they will look to secure additional qualification spots for the global tournament.
Nigeria will face South Africa, while Côte d’Ivoire will take on Ghana on August 13 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament qualifiers, with the matches offering another opportunity for African nations to secure one of the three remaining places at the 2027 global showpiece.
For the teams that emerge from the African play-in stage, the challenge will not end there. The next phase of the qualification journey awaits in November and December 2026, with six teams from different confederations competing in a centralised FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament.
The final play-off phase will be played in a centralised location in February 2027, where the two qualifiers from the first phase will be joined by two teams from Concacaf, one from CONMEBOL and one from UEFA. The six teams will be drawn into three paths, with a direct knockout match to determine the final three teams qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. Teams from the same confederation will not be permitted to be drawn in the same pathway.
