The Women’s African Cup of Nations highlighted plenty of international soccer stars this summer.
Of course, the Kansas City Current’s Temwa Chawinga made headlines for her contributions for her home country of Malawi as she helped send the team to their first WAFCON final against Cameroon. In the end, Cameroon won its first WAFCON title.
Since the end of WAFCON, a few African soccer stars have signed NWSL contracts, creating a pipeline of sorts to the league from the international tournament. African players have played in the league essentially since the creation of the NWSL, but there’s certainly been an increased spotlight on African talent in recent years.
Chawinga’s notably been the most influential African player in the NWSL of late. She won back-to-back MVP awards in 2024 and ‘25, her first two seasons in the league, and also won the Golden Boot in those two seasons.
Shortly after the Current re-signed Chawinga through the 2029 season back in June, general manager Ryan Dell shared his thoughts on how the NWSL needs to adapt to how the game is growing in the global market.
“I think it’s become apparent in the past few years that we are living in a global market,” Dell told reporters on June 23. “It’s not just within the NWSL, and I think that speaks to the growth of the league. This league is the best league in the world. As we compete for the top talent, that’s part of it.”
It’s clear at this point that various NWSL teams are prioritizing signing African superstar soccer players based on some of the latest additions.
For starters, the Washington Spirit signed Cameroon’s Monique Ngock back on July 9 before WAFCON started. Ngock was thrilled to join the NWSL and the Spirit specifically.
“With the Spirit, I know I can grow into the best version of myself as a player,” Ngock said, via a press release on July 9. “The impressive track record and culture created by the team and the staff has made the club a very attractive destination for me and I can’t wait to get started.”
Ngock didn’t make her NWSL debut until after the tournament, though, on Aug. 29 vs. Bay FC. She entered in the 69th minute and recorded one shot on goal. She has since started in two matches.
After Ngock’s NWSL debut, Washington manager Adrián González expressed how excited he and the team were to welcome the midfielder. She seemed ready to go quicker than expected since she played for weeks during WAFCON. Ngock was even named the Player of the Tournament because of her performances leading up to Cameroon’s win.
“Everyone is helping them to interact and integrate as quick as possible. Obviously, we need to be patient with them because it’s a big change,” González said on Aug. 29. “… They are ready. So, now it’s just a matter of time again to keep building those connections, and try to help them adapt as quick as possible.”
The Spirit also signed Clara Luvanga, making her the first Tanzanian player to join the NWSL. However, Luvanga didn’t compete in this summer’s WAFCON for her home country. She’s spent the last three seasons playing in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr FC.
Ngock isn’t the only recent African player signed that has seen NWSL action so far. Her teammate, Algerian national Mélissa Bethi, scored her first NWSL goal — and the first NWSL goal of any Algerian — on September 6, during her first start.
There is often a delay for international players to officially compete on the pitch is due to them needing a P-1 visa, however. It can take a couple weeks for players to receive the visa.
The next player to keep an eye out for on the NWSL pitch is Cameroon’s Maëva Nyadjou, who signed with the Current on Sept. 3. The 19-year-old was notably named WAFCON’s Best Young Player thanks to her contributions to Cameroon’s title.
“[Nyadjou] is coming off a remarkable WAFCON tournament where she was a key part of Cameroon’s historic success,” Dell said, via a press release. “Maëva is a young talent who is only getting started, and we’re excited to help her develop.”
Nyadjou, like other international stars who signed to the NWSL, fulfilled a major dream of hers when Kansas City picked her up.
“I am very happy to begin a new adventure with the Kansas City Current,” Nyadjou said. “Playing in the NWSL has always been a dream of mine, and I look forward to training with and competing against some of the best players in the world.”
Signing Nyadjou adds to Dell’s and the Current’s game plan of finding the strongest talent in the world to bring to the club.
“I think it’s always important to make sure that we bring in the best players in the world,” Dell said on June 23. “That’s our ambition as a club is to grow and to have the best rosters and compete for championships every season.”
Cameroon’s WAFCON-winning roster was stacked, to say the least. And Ngock and Nyadjou aren’t the only members of Team Cameroon to hop across the pond this fall. Most recently, Naomi Eto from Cameroon signed with Denver Summit FC on Sept. 9. Eto notably scored one goal and recorded one assist in the title game vs. Malawi. The 21-year-old Eto joins the Summit on a transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, where she appeared in eight contests this season.
As the NWSL season starts to wind down, these African players will get to make their debuts in the league and prove their skills in front of new audiences. While the trend of signing African stars isn’t just now starting, NWSL clubs seem to be paying more attention to African players to see how they can fit into their rosters in the United States.
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