The landscape of African women's football is rich with history and fierce competition. Among the top contenders, Nigeria and South Africa stand out as prominent forces. This article delves into the historical journey of women's football in Nigeria and South Africa, highlighting their achievements, World Cup appearances, and their rivalry in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Nigeria: The Super Falcons' Dominance
Women have been playing football in Nigeria since the 1930s, marking a long-standing tradition of the sport in the country. The Super Falcons have appeared in every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1991. They are the only African women’s team to reach the quarterfinals in the World Cup. Nigeria is the only African country in the top 50 of FIFA’s Women’s team rankings. Nigeria is the most successful nation in the history of the tournament since it became full-scale in 1998, winning 10 of the 13 editions so far and making it to at least the semi-final in every tournament they have played.
In 1991, FIFA organized the inaugural World Cup tournament for women after multiple trials dating back to 1974, causing CAF to organize a qualification competition on a home-and-away basis for its nations. For its first 2 editions in 1991 and 1995, multiple nations withdrew their teams from qualification or its matches, as they weren't ready for the new developments at the time. 1991 was the first year of the tournament Congo, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe all withdrew which led to the tournament only consisting of six matches. The tournament was played at locations across Africa, with no host nation. Nigeria defeated Cameroon, who had received two walkovers, in the final of the inaugural tournament in 1991 to win the first title. The victory earned Nigeria qualification to the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Similarly in the 1995 edition Ghana and Angola withdrew, which left the tournament with only six nations. The 1998 edition was hosted from 17 to 31 October by Nigeria, who would claim their third consecutive win by defeating Ghana 2-0 in the final at Gateway Stadium. This was the first edition that featured a qualification round with Nigeria qualifying automatically as hosts, with the remaining seven spots determined by a qualification round, and a play-off round. From then on, the tournament would continue to take place biennially, with the 2000 edition being hosted in South Africa. Nigeria won their fourth title by beating South Africa 2-0 in the final in what was the only final in the tournaments history that was never completed. Nigeria returned to hosting duties in 2002 which saw them beat Ghana 2-0 in the final to take their fifth consecutive title.
The eleventh edition of the tournament in 2014 saw Nigeria pick up their ninth title as they beat Cameroon 2-0 in the final. Namibia was granted hosting duties for the tournament and thus made their debut in the final tournament. Nigeria won the Women African Cup of Nations 2018, achieving a 4-3 penalty shootout victory against South Africa in the final. The title was Nigeria’s third consecutive and eleventh overall Africa Women Cup of Nations title and cemented their place in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, where they would subsequently reach the round of sixteen.
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Key Achievements of Nigeria:
- Appeared in every FIFA Women’s World Cup since 1991.
- Only African women’s team to reach the quarterfinals in the World Cup.
- The most successful nation in the history of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), winning 10 titles.
Nigeria 2-1 South Africa Match Highlights l TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 l Semi-Final
South Africa: The Rise of Banyana Banyana
The team’s first game ever was a match against the women’s team of Swaziland in 1993. Their name, Banyana Banyana or Girls Girls, is derived from the men’s national team Bafana Bafana or Boys Boys. They qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in 2019, this tournament appearance will be their second-ever World Cup. South Africa won the 2022 edition to become the third African nation to ever win the tournament. South Africa won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
At times, during this Banyana Banyana team's evolution under Desiree Ellis, it could fairly be claimed that this side were South Africa's finest exponents of the fabled 'Shoeshine and piano', a style best associated with domestic giants Mamelodi Sundowns, which is essentially a Mzansi take on Total Football. Clearly there's technical prowess and ingenuity in this side, from Linda Motlhalo, surely the most accomplished central midfielder in possession at this tournament, to the advancing Lebohang Ramalepe, adventurous in a more attacking brief at the WAFCON. Their defenders look comfortable taking the initiative, goalkeeper Andile Dlamini gets involved with the ball at feet, and there is often a fluidity about Banyana's play that's unmatched at this level. However, without talisman Thembi Kgatlana, they're still missing that cutting edge, a difference-maker in the final third, someone to take the chances and to create something from nothing when the chips are down. In the '22 final, with Kgatlana absent, Hildah Magaia stepped up to score twice, but while she's looked lively in Morocco -- and came close on several occasions against Senegal -- there's still something missing from the champions' forward line.
Key Achievements of South Africa:
- Won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
- Qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in 2019.
Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON)
The Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations and formerly the African Women's Championship, is a biennial international women's football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 1998 as the qualification for the FIFA Women's World Cup for African nations. Nigeria is the most successful nation in the history of the tournament since it became full-scale in 1998, winning 10 of the 13 editions so far and making it to at least the semi-final in every tournament they have played. South Africa won the 2022 edition to become the third African nation to ever win the tournament.
The inaugural editions in 1991 and 1995 were purely home-and-away qualification matches as both CAF and African nations were adapting to the new developments from FIFA and that only one qualification spot for the FIFA Women's World Cup was available to African teams. The format continued with the installation of a full-scale tournament consisting of an initial eight-team group stage in the 1998 edition and an additional qualification spot. This stood until the 2016 edition when it was established that, henceforth, the finalists from every edition of the tournament would qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup and the losing semi-finalists qualify for the play-offs to compete with the losing semi-finalists from the AFC qualification tournament for 2 spare spots at the international tournament.
Between 1998 and 2018, the 8 qualified teams were drawn into two groups of 4 with each team playing the other once. Since the 2022 edition, the 12 qualified teams are drawn into three groups of four teams each with the same format as in previous editions, but with an inclusion of the quarter-finals in the knockout stage. The top two teams and two of the best third-placed teams advanced to the knockout stage. Throughout the history of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, three trophies have been awarded to the winners of the competition; the current trophy was first awarded in the 2014 edition. On 2 July 2025, to mark the expansion and acceptance of women's football in Africa, CAF has unveiled a new trophy for the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations. The design, which was influenced by the men's AFCON trophy, has a golden football in the middle of a blossoming flower with petals that symbolise each team.
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On 3 July 2025, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced a major increase in prize money for the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), set to take place in Morocco. The entire prize pool has increased by 45% to USD 3,475,000, while the winner's award has been doubled to USD 1,000,000. In order to improve player, coach, and staff pay and support the increasing international recognition of women's football on the continent, CAF President Dr.
Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Achievements
| Team | Number of Titles | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 10 | 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 2 | 2008, 2012 |
| South Africa | 1 | 2022 |
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