Women’s football in Africa has come a long way.
From African giants that have ruled women’s football for decades to national women’s soccer teams that are now climbing the rankings.
Some have lifted major trophies and produced world-class players. Others have battled through years of setbacks before finally getting their big break. Then there are teams quietly building something special and showing that they could become a bigger force in the years ahead. But some have remained the best, and that’s what today will look at.
So, who are the best women’s football teams in Africa?
Come with me as we look at the best women’s soccer national teams in 2027.
1) Nigeria, Super Falcons
Nigeria is the biggest name on the best women’s football teams Africa list.
The Super Falcons have been part of African women’s football since the early days. They won the first African women’s championship in 1991 and also won the 1995 edition.
When the competition became the WAFCON in 1998, Nigeria continued their winning run. They won the first five editions from 1998 to 2006.
They also lifted the trophy in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018. Their tenth WAFCON title came in 2025, when they beat hosts Morocco 3- 2 after coming from two goals down in the final.
CAF lists Nigeria as the only African national team, men’s or women’s, with 10 continental titles in this competition.
Super Falcons’ World Cup story is just as strong.
Nigeria have played at every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the first tournament in 1991. Their best result came in 1999, when they reached the quarter-finals.
Their 2026 WAFCON title defence ended in the quarter-finals after a 1- 0 defeat to Cameroon. It was a rare early exit for the African giants.
2) South Africa, Banyana Banyana
South Africa have spent years building and maintaining themselves as one of the best women’s football teams Africa.
Banyana Banyana reached the WAFCON final four times before finally winning it. Their breakthrough came in 2022, when they beat Morocco 2-1 in the final.
That win ended years of waiting and gave South Africa their first continental title.
They also made their World Cup debut in 2019. Four years later, they reached the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup, their best result so far.
South Africa’s 2026 WAFCON run ended in the quarter-finals. Morocco beat them 2-1.
Banyana Banyana are still one of the leading women’s soccer national sides in Africa, with a long record of major tournament appearances.
3) Cameroon, Indomitable Lionesses
Cameroon had waited a long time for this moment.
The Indomitable Lionesses had reached the WAFCON final three times before 2026. They lost to Nigeria in 2004, 2014 and 2016.
Then came the breakthrough.
Cameroon beat Nigeria 1- 0 in the 2026 quarter-final. That result also sent them to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Then the Indomitable Lionesses beat Morocco on penalties in the semi-final.
In the final, Cameroon beat Malawi 3- 0 to win their first WAFCON title. Marie Ngah scored twice, and Naomi Ndjoah Eto added the other goal.
The win made Cameroon only the fourth country to win the women’s African title.
They also have World Cup experience. Cameroon first reached the tournament in 2015 and returned in 2019. On both occasions, they reached the round of 16. Brazil 2027 will be their third World Cup appearance.
That puts Cameroon among the biggest rising forces in African women’s football.
4) Morocco, Atlas Lionesses
Morocco’s rise has been one of the biggest stories in recent years in women’s football.
The Atlas Lionesses first appeared at the WAFCON in 1998. For many years, they were not seen as one of the main title favourites.
That changed on home soil in 2022.
Morocco reached the WAFCON final for the first time. They lost 2- 1 to South Africa, but the run gave the team a new place in African women’s football.
Then came another historic step.
Morocco qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time. They also became the first Arab country to reach the tournament.
Their debut was impressive. Morocco reached the round of 16 after beating South Korea and Colombia in the group stage.
In 2025, they reached the WAFCON final again but lost 3- 2 to Nigeria.
In 2026, Morocco reached the semi-finals before Cameroon beat them on penalties.
They are among the first 18 women’s national teams to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil 2027. It will be their second World Cup appearance.
For a country that only recently became a regular title challenger, that is a huge rise.
5) Ghana, Black Queens
Ghana are one of the old names in African women’s football.
The Black Queens were part of the first WAFCON in 1998. They reached the final but lost 2- 0 to Nigeria.
They reached the final again in 2002 and 2006. Nigeria won both finals.
Ghana has therefore reached three WAFCON finals without winning the trophy. They have also finished third four times, giving them one of the strongest records in the competition.
Their World Cup story began in 1999.
Ghana qualified for three straight World Cups in 1999, 2003 and 2007. They have not returned since then.
The Black Queens came close to ending that long wait in 2026. They reached the WAFCON quarter-finals but lost 2- 1 to debutants Malawi.
Ghana later beat Côte d’Ivoire in the World Cup playoff and earned a place in the intercontinental playoffs for Brazil 2027.
The Black Queens remain one of the most historic women’s national football teams Africa that’ll never be forgotten.
6) Côte d’Ivoire, Elephantes
Côte d’Ivoire has had some important moments on the women’s African football stage.
The Elephantes made their WAFCON debut in 2010. Their best result came in 2014, when they reached the semi-finals and finished third.
That same period gave them their first FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance. Côte d’Ivoire qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015.
They returned to the WAFCON in 2026 after a 12-year absence. CAF records their 2014 third-place finish as their best result.
The Elephantes reached the 2026 quarter-finals but lost 2- 1 to Algeria.
They are still searching for another World Cup appearance.
7. Zambia, Copper Queens
Zambia’s rise has been quick and exciting.
The Copper Queens had been competing in African women’s football for years, but their big breakthrough came in 2022.
They reached the WAFCON semi-finals and finished third. That result helped them reach the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time.
Zambia made history by becoming the first landlocked African country to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
They also won their first World Cup match in 2023, beating Costa Rica 3- 1.
The Copper Queens remain dangerous in front of goal.
At WAFCON 2026, captain Barbra Banda, one of the best women’s soccer strikers, scored five goals, including four in Zambia’s 6- 0 win over Egypt. She finished level with Temwa Chawinga and Cameroon’s Marie Ngah at the top of the tournament scoring chart.
Zambia did not reach the 2026 semi-finals, but their recent record keeps them among the best women’s football teams Africa.
8) Tunisia, Eagles of Carthage
Tunisia have been part of the African women’s game for a long time now.
The Eagles of Carthage made their WAFCON debut in 1991. They later reached the semi-finals in 2000.
That remains their best result at the senior continental tournament.
Tunisia have not yet qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their challenge now is to turn their regular regional presence into stronger results against Africa’s top sides.
They remain one of the established North African women’s national teams and are part of the wider group of national sides pushing the women’s soccer forward.
9) Equatorial Guinea, Nzalang Nacional
Equatorial Guinea made history in 2008.
Before that year, Nigeria had won every WAFCON title. Equatorial Guinea broke that run by winning the tournament on home soil.
Four years later, they did it again.
They won the 2012 WAFCON and became only the second country to lift the trophy. Nigeria and South Africa were the only other champions until Cameroon won in 2026.
Equatorial Guinea also reached the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. That remains their only World Cup appearance.
Their two continental titles still give them one of the strongest trophy records in African women’s football.
10) Algeria, Green Ladies
Algeria have been part of WAFCON history since 1995.
For years, they struggled to reach the biggest women’s football stage, the Women’s World Cup. Their breakthrough came in 2026.
The Green Ladies reached the WAFCON quarter-finals and beat Côte d’Ivoire 2- 1. That victory secured Algeria’s first-ever place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
They then reached the semi-finals after beating Côte d’Ivoire, before losing 3- 1 to Malawi.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 will therefore be a first for Algeria.
It is a major step for a team that has spent decades trying to break into Africa’s top women’s soccer group.
11) Senegal, Lionesses of Teranga
Senegal have become more regular at the WAFCON in recent years.
The Lionesses first reached the tournament in 2012. They returned in 2022 and 2024, building more experience against the continent’s stronger teams.
Their best WAFCON result is reaching the quarter-finals.
Senegal have not yet reached the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The team is still building its record, but regular appearances at major African tournaments give younger players more chances to play at a higher level.
That steady progress is one reason Senegal remain among the best women’s soccer national teams to watch.
12) Mali, Les Aiglonnes
Mali have been part of the WAFCON story for many years.
The Aiglonnes reached the semi-finals in 2004. They returned to the last four in 2018 and finished fourth.
Mali have not yet qualified for a FIFA Women’s World Cup.
They have, however, remained regular competitors in African women’s football. Their appearance at the 2026 WAFCON gave another group of players experience at a major continental tournament.
For Mali, the next step is clear: turn strong qualifying runs into deeper women’s soccer tournament progress.
13) Egypt, Pharaohs Women
Egypt are another country with a long football history.
The Pharaohs Women made their WAFCON debut in 1998. They have returned to the tournament several times, including the 2016, 2022 and 2026 editions.
They have not yet qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Egypt’s place on this list comes from their long involvement in the continental game and their continued efforts to build the women’s national team.
The 2026 WAFCON also gave Egypt another chance to test themselves against some of Africa’s strongest women’s national teams.
14) Congo
Congo’s women’s national team has not had the same level of success as Nigeria, South Africa or Cameroon.
However, the country has been part of African women’s international football for decades.
Congo has not qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Their national team continues to take part in African qualification campaigns, with the aim of reaching the bigger tournaments more often.
For countries such as Congo, regular international matches are important because they give players experience and create a path for the next generation.
15) DR Congo
DR Congo has a stronger WAFCON history than their current ranking position may suggest.
The Leopards reached the semi-finals of the 1998 WAFCON and finished third.
That made DR Congo one of the early teams to reach the top three of the competition. CAF records them among the countries that have taken a WAFCON podium place.
However, they have not qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Their challenge now is to build a new generation capable of bringing back some of the success seen in the late 1990s.
Final Whistle
African women’s football is no longer a story about one or two countries. Some of the best women’s football teams Africa have decades of history behind them. Others are only now finding their feet.
Nigeria still owns the biggest WAFCON record, with 10 titles. South Africa finally broke through in 2022. Cameroon joined the champions in 2026 after beating Malawi in the final. Equatorial Guinea has two titles, while Morocco has become a serious force in only a few years.
Then there are the teams climbing behind them.
Zambia has already reached a World Cup. Ghana is trying to return after a long absence. Algeria has qualified for its first World Cup. Morocco and Cameroon will return to the global stage in 2027.
That is what makes the next few years so interesting.
And with Brazil 2027 ahead, the next chapter is ready to begin.
