For everyone who had expected a predictable outing at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), the opening week of the expanded 16-team edition in Morocco proved otherwise. For the first time in the competition’s 28-year history, the biggest upset it has ever witnessed occurred not once, but twice, and within 24 hours of each other.

It was Tanzania who first made everyone sit up after beating the 2022 WAFCON champions, South Africa, 2-1 in their opening Group B match on Monday in Casablanca. The victory was the Twiga Stars’ first-ever at the tournament in what is only their third appearance.

Taking an even bigger leaf from their East African neighbours the following day, the Scorchers of Malawi, on their tournament debut, sent the football world into a frenzy as they defeated defending champions and 10-time winners Nigeria 3-2. It was a seismic victory inspired by the Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, and a scoreline that faltered the Super Falcons.

Just one week into the competition, two of the tournament favourites are hanging on for dear life. South Africa, after their opening defeat to Tanzania, crawled back from two goals down against Côte d’Ivoire to salvage a 2-2 draw on Friday, leaving everything to play for in their final Group B fixture. Nigeria, meanwhile, had a better outing against Zambia in their second Group C match, edging the Copper Queens 1-0 on Saturday. However, the defending champions’ quarter-final hopes still hang in the balance heading into the final round of group fixtures.

While the opening week was far from kind to those favourites, hosts Morocco and last edition’s finalists underlined their credentials by becoming the first nation to book a place in the quarter-finals following a narrow 1-0 victory over Algeria in their second Group A match. The Atlas Lionesses had begun their campaign with a commanding 4-0 demolition of Kenya.

Elsewhere in Group A, Senegal defeated Kenya by a lone goal to bounce back from their opening-day 2-0 defeat to Algeria. While Kenya’s fate has already been sealed, it remains to be seen who will join Morocco in the quarter-finals when the final group matches are concluded.

In Group B, the race for the quarter-final places will be decided between all four teams on the final matchday. South Africa, however, will need more than just a decent result against Burkina Faso, having managed only one point from their opening two outings.

Group C remains between Malawi, Zambia and Nigeria, although the debutants hold the advantage after collecting six points from their opening two victories over Nigeria and Egypt.

Group D opens the second week of WAFCON 2026, with Ghana and Cameroon, both victorious in their opening matches against Mali and Cape Verde respectively, set to face each other before the defeated sides meet in search of their first points of the tournament.

WAFCON 2026: Week One off the Pitch

Egypt’s Female Pharaohs found themselves at the centre of attention in the opening week of the tournament after images from their official photoshoot, especially the unveiling of their “Seven Star” jersey, circulated widely on social media. The design drew comparisons with Nigeria’s Super Falcons, whose shirts proudly feature 10 stars above the badge to represent their 10 WAFCON triumphs.

Egypt women are playing at WAFCON with seven stars above their badge despite never winning the tournament 😮🇪🇬

They represent the men’s seven AFCON titles 😅 pic.twitter.com/FdqShEwJl3

— ESPN Africa (@ESPNAfrica) July 28, 2026

The difference, however, is that Egypt’s women’s team have never won the continental title. The seven stars instead represent the men’s national team’s record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles. The controversy dominated conversations before the tournament, although it remains unclear whether the backlash influenced Egypt’s decision not to wear the jersey during their matches.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s camp was rocked by an alleged theft incident at the Marriott Hotel in Casablanca even before the Super Falcons kicked a ball. A member of staff allegedly stole cash from the rooms of several players. Forward Esther Okoronkwo, who revealed the incident on Snapchat, said she personally lost $700, with more than $1,250 reportedly stolen in total. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, Joy Omewa, Halimatu Ayinde and Michelle Alozie were also among those reported to have lost money. Moroccan authorities subsequently launched an investigation, with reports later confirming that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the incident.

However, the saga took an unfortunate turn when Okoronkwo’s decision to speak publicly about the theft triggered a torrent of racist abuse on social media, with her Instagram page flooded with monkey emojis and other abusive messages. The Nigerian forward later condemned the attacks, drawing widespread support from fans, fellow footballers and women’s football advocates across the continent.