The Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has produced some of the greatest moments in African football, Soccernet reports.
Since becoming a full continental tournament in 1998, the competition has been blessed with legendary players, unforgettable matches and dominant teams, with Nigeria's Super Falcons leading the way.
As the 2026 WAFCON gets underway in Morocco, fans have another chance to witness history. The tournament, running from July 26 to August 16, is the 14th official edition and the biggest yet, with 16 teams competing for the first time. It also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, while CAF has increased the winner's prize money to $2 million from a record total prize pool of $5.8 million.
Morocco is hosting the competition for a third straight time, while defending champions Nigeria begin their title defence in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi.
Nigeria's incredible dominance and the race for another title
No country has come close to matching Nigeria's record at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons have won 10 WAFCON titles, making them by far the most successful team in the tournament's history. Their championship victories came in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2024.
Only Equatorial Guinea and South Africa have managed to stop Nigeria from lifting the trophy. Equatorial Guinea shocked the continent by winning in 2008 and repeated the feat in 2012, while South Africa finally claimed their first-ever title in 2022 after defeating hosts Morocco 2-1 in the final.
Nigeria's dominance goes beyond the number of trophies. The Super Falcons have reached 10 WAFCON finals and won every one of them, giving them a perfect record in championship matches. Their famous green jersey now carries 10 stars above the crest, with each star representing one continental title.
Before WAFCON officially became a full tournament in 1998, Nigeria had already stamped their authority by winning the regional qualification competitions in 1991 and 1995, laying the foundation for decades of success.
WAFCON: The players who rewrote the record books
Several African football icons have left lasting marks on WAFCON, but few can match the achievements of Nigeria's legendary striker Perpetua Nkwocha.
Nkwocha remains the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 34 goals. She won the Golden Boot four different times and set another record by scoring 11 goals during the 2010 tournament, the highest total by any player in a single edition.
Her greatest individual performance came in the 2004 final, when she scored four goals as Nigeria defeated Cameroon 5-0. No player has ever scored four times in a WAFCON final.
Modern-day Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala has also built an outstanding record. The six-time African Women's Player of the Year finished as the 2016 Golden Boot winner with six goals and has continued to play a key role in Nigeria's success over multiple tournaments.
Equatorial Guinea's Genoveva Añonman became the player who broke Nigeria's long-standing dominance. She won the Golden Boot in 2006 with seven goals and again in 2012 with six, helping her country capture both of its historic WAFCON titles.
WAFCON: Appearance queens, trophy winners and records for longevity
While goals often grab the headlines, longevity has created another group of WAFCON legends.
Former Super Falcons captain Onome Ebi holds the record for the most tournament appearances, having featured in seven WAFCON editions between 2008 and 2022. Across those tournaments, the experienced defender helped Nigeria win four continental titles in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018 before retiring from international football.
Cameroon's veteran captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné has also played in seven editions. Unlike Ebi, however, she is part of the 2026 tournament and could move ahead by becoming the first player to appear in eight WAFCON tournaments.
Among individual champions, Francisca Ordega and Osinachi Ohale stand alone. The Super Falcons stars have each won five WAFCON titles, the highest number of championship medals earned by any player in the competition's history.
Another remarkable record belongs to Tunisia forward Mariem Houij, who scored after just 17 seconds against Togo during the 2022 tournament, making it the fastest goal ever recorded in WAFCON history.
The unforgettable moments that shaped WAFCON history
WAFCON's history has been filled with dramatic matches that changed African football forever.
One of the most unforgettable came in the 2024 final, when Nigeria staged an incredible comeback against hosts Morocco in Rabat. The Super Falcons trailed 2-0 at half-time before Esther Okoronkwo, Osinachi Ohale and Jennifer Echegini completed a stunning 3-2 victory to secure Nigeria's historic 10th continental title.
A couple of years earlier, Morocco hosted the biggest crowd ever seen in African women's football. A record 45,562 spectators packed the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to watch the 2022 semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria.
The 2022 final also created history as South Africa finally ended years of disappointment. After losing five previous finals, Banyana Banyana defeated Morocco 2-1, giving coach Desiree Ellis and her players their first-ever African title.
Back in 2008, Equatorial Guinea produced one of WAFCON's biggest surprises by becoming the first team to stop Nigeria's run of titles. The hosts stunned the Super Falcons in the semifinal to lift the trophy before proving their success was no accident by winning again in 2012.
Another memorable final arrived in 2016, when Cameroon looked set to win on home soil in front of more than 40,000 supporters in Yaoundé. However, Desire Oparanozie scored the winning goal in the 84th minute, handing Nigeria another famous championship and silencing the home crowd.
Interestingly, the 2026 tournament unfolds in Morocco with more teams, bigger prize money and World Cup qualification on the line. And a new generation now has the chance to join the legends who have already written their names into the WAFCON record books.
