The 2022 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) made history in Morocco, with a record number of teams and games played. The tournament, hosted in Rabat and Casablanca, saw 16 teams compete, including two debutants, Cape Verde and one other team. Morocco hosted the tournament for the third consecutive time, a first in WAFCON history. The competition drew record live and TV audiences, with all matches held in five stadiums across the two cities.
The tournament saw several upsets, including a monumental shock defeat for traditional powerhouses and defending champions Nigeria. Malawi’s Scorchers, led by the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, caused a stir, with Temwa claiming the Golden Boot honors. The Scorchers disposed of Ghana and Algeria in the knockout stages, making it to the semi-finals. Other top teams, including hosts Morocco, Cameroon, and Cote d’Ivoire, also advanced to the semi-finals, with Cote d’Ivoire being bested by Algeria.
The last four teams standing automatically qualified for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. The four beaten quarter-finalists, including Nigeria, entered a play-off to qualify for the Inter-Confederation play-offs for the same tournament. Ghana defeated Côte d’Ivoire 2-1, while South Africa beat Nigeria, resulting in Nigeria missing out on the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time in their history.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses made it to the finals, with defender Myriam Nyadjou scoring her team’s fourth spot-kick in a penalty shootout against Morocco. Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina saved three out of four efforts in the shootout, earning her the Best Goalkeeper award. The team’s victory marked their first WAFCON title, with Monique Ngock claiming the Best Player award.
In the final, Cameroon faced Malawi’s Scorchers, with the more experienced side winning 3-0 at halftime. The match ended with Cameroon emerging as the lowest-scoring champions ever with eight goals in total. The tournament also saw several notable performances from African soccer stars, including Mo Salah, who joined Trabzonspor in Turkey.
In other news, the three Sahel Allies, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, recently submitted a joint bid to host the 2032 edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). While Burkina Faso and Mali have hosted the tournament before, Niger have a limited history with the tournament, having only qualified twice.
Several African soccer stars have made notable moves, including Mo Salah, who joined Trabzonspor in Turkey and made a fantastic start, scoring seven and assisting twice in his first eight games. Nigerian Gift Orban also joined Amedspor in Turkey, while Yan Diomande became the most expensive African player in history when Real Madrid signed him for €125m.
Key points
- Cameroon wins WAFCON title
- Morocco hosts record-breaking tournament
- Nigeria misses out on FIFA World Cup finals
