Thursday, June 4, 2026

The Sun Nigeria

2026 Women’s AFCON Race: Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Mali in good stead for Morocco 2026

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Esther Okoronkwo

Cup holders and 10-time champion, Nigeria lead a cast of heavyweights who have put themselves in good positions to advance to next year’s Women Africa Cup of Nations finals – the 14th edition to be hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco.

Hosts Morocco, losing finalists in the past two editions that it hosted, has qualified automatically as hosts of the championship to be staged March 1 –April 3.

While the Super Falcons were underscoring their superiority over African opposition by defeating the Amazons of Bénin Republic 2-0 in Lome on Friday, Zambia (stunned with five goals by Nigeria in this summer’s captivating feast in Morocco), won their away tie 4-2 to Namibia in Windhoek. They have a simple job to do in the return leg in Ndola on Tuesday.

Ghana’s Black Queens trashed hosts Egypt 3-0, with the return leg set for Accra on Tuesday, while Mali’s senior girls got the better of Cape Verde 1-0 away in Praia.

Angola and Malawi ended their first leg in Luanda scoreless, same as Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire in Dakar, while hosts Kenya saw off The Gambia 3-1 in Nairobi and Algeria edged Cameroon 2-1.

Burkina Faso and Tanzania have decent 2-0 leads on Togo and Ethiopia respectively going for their return legs on away ground, while South Africa’s Banyana Banyana forced the Democratic Republic of Congo to a 1-1 draw away from home.

Ethiopia hosts Tanzania in Addis Ababa on Sunday, while all 10 other return-leg encounters take place on Tuesday.

Nigeria host Bénin’s Amazons at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, from 4pm, with a two-goal cushion from the first leg courtesy Chinwendu Ihezuo and Esther Okoronkwo.