Super Falcons to Discover WAFCON 2026 Group Opponents on January 15

Nigeria’s Super Falcons will learn their group stage opponents for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Thursday, 15 January, when the CAF final draw takes place in Rabat, Morocco. This will be a historic draw as the tournament expands to a 16-team format for the first time.

The ceremony is scheduled for around mid-afternoon local time, and besides determining the groups, CAF will also unveil winners of several women’s football awards including Coach of the Year and Women’s Interclub Player of the Year.

Nigeria — defending WAFCON champions after their dramatic comeback win over hosts Morocco in the final have already secured qualification and will be one of the seeded teams heading into the draw. Other qualified nations include Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and more from across the continent.

Editorial

There are occasions in sport when anticipation becomes its own narrative, and for the Super Falcons, Thursday’s WAFCON 2026 draw in Rabat is precisely such a moment. It is not simply a ceremonial seeding of names into pots and letters into groups it is the overture to a new chapter in African women’s football — one defined by expansion, ambition and the unyielding quest for continental supremacy.

This edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, expanded to accommodate 16 teams for the first time, represents more than logistical growth it embodies the maturation of the women’s game in Africa. It signals confidence in the quality, depth and competitive spirit that the continent’s teams now bring to the pitch. For Nigeria, the task is not unfamiliar — champions once again, torch held aloft after their spectacular triumph in 2025. Yet with every surge of expectation comes the imperative of reinvention.

When the names of opponents fall from the draw pot in Rabat, they will shape tactical preparation and strategic mindset. But these fixtures however they align will be contested by players for whom representation is both honour and burden. The Super Falcons, Africa’s most decorated team, carry a legacy of triumph that others now chase with increasing tenacity. That dynamic elevates the draw from mere administrative necessity to a moment laden with meaning a reminder that every tournament writes new stories even as it honours old ones.

Supporters and pundits alike will scrutinise the group combinations, debating balance and fairness. Yet in truth, the draw is the opening stanza of a longer composition one that will be scored in goals, grit and moments of invention on fields across Morocco next March and April. For Nigeria’s women and for African football writ large — this is the prologue to another compelling narrative.

Did You Know?

1. Historic qualification The Super Falcons sealed their place in WAFCON 2026 with a 3–1 aggregate win over Benin Republic in the final qualifying round.
2. Defending champions Nigeria won the 2025 WAFCON title with a dramatic 3–2 comeback victory over hosts Morocco in the final.
3. Most successful side The Super Falcons are the most decorated nation in WAFCON history, having won the competition ten times prior to the 2026 edition.
4. Expanded tournament WAFCON 2026 is the first time the competition will feature 16 teams, up from the previous 12-team format.
5. CAF awards Apart from the draw, CAF will announce several women’s football awards on the same day, including Coach of the Year.