As at today, Wednesday 5 August 2026, seven teams are officially through to the 2026 WAFCON quarter‑finals, with one spot remaining.
Softfootball understands that Mali, Ghana, Cape Verde, and Cameroon will slug it out on Thursday, 6 August 2026, to claim the final ticket.
Teams Already Qualified
- Morocco
- Côte d’Ivoire
- South Africa
- Algeria
- Cameroon
- Malawi
- Nigeria
Nigeria qualified by smashing Egypt 6–2, while Malawi’s qualification surprised many fans due to their less superior goal difference.
Softfootball gathered that Zambia did not qualify despite having a better overall goal difference. The reason is clear:
Why Zambia Missed Out
With three teams level on 6 points, the ranking was decided by:
- Head‑to‑head results
- Goal difference within the tied teams only
This means goals scored against Egypt did not count in the mini‑league. Under these rules, Nigeria finished above Zambia and advanced as runners‑up.
