Four more teams are joining the party in Brazil next summer.
Algeria is going to the Women’s World Cup for the first time after defeating Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
“It was a midfield battle. There were very good players involved, and a lot of the play went through the flanks, so it’s natural that the wide players were heavily involved,” said midfielder Amira Ould Braham, who scored the go-ahead goal for Algeria.
Also on Saturday, Morocco earned its second World Cup berth with a 2-1 victory over South Africa. Sunday’s games saw Cameroon knock off powerhouse Nigeria 1-0, while Malawi and player of the match Temwa Chawinga defeated Ghana 2-1. Malawi will also head to the World Cup for the first time.
Michaely Bihina, Cameroon’s goalkeeper, broke down in tears as she reacted to the victory. “I’m happy because we are qualified for the World Cup, it’s my first time. Today we did a great job and together we are very excited to go to Brazil,” Bihina said.
Cameroon will play Morocco in the WAFCON semifinals, while Algeria will face Malawi.
It’s not quite over South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana when it comes to the World Cup. They’ll play on Thursday for a shot at an intercontinental playoff.
WAFCON continues to grow
WAFCON has been something of a fiasco this year, with its delayed start and small crowds. This year’s tournament is being held only 12 months after the delayed 2024 tournament, which was pushed back because of the Paris Olympics. Originally, WAFCON was scheduled for March 17 to April 3 but two weeks before it was supposed to start, it was suddenly was pushed to July 25 to Aug. 16.
CAF, the African confederation, also expanded the tournament from 12 to 16 teams after qualification had already concluded. The four highest ranked teams from the final qualifying round were invited to join.
Still, prize money has doubled from $1 million last year to $2 million this year. All teams that participated earned $150,000, up $25,000 per team.
The ultimate payoff of this WAFCON has been that new teams will get a chance to play on the big stage in Brazil next summer. Zambia and Barbra Banda won’t be there, sadly, but Algeria and Malawi will be making first appearances, while Cameroon will be playing the third time, but the first since 2019. Morocco’s only other appearance in the tournament was in 2023.
In all, 18 teams have qualified for the World Cup. The CONCACAF qualifying teams will be determined at the W Championship, which begins Nov. 27 in Texas.
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Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus, The IX Sports
Golf: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Hockey: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
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