Top women’s football teams in Africa

By Peter Ochieng

Men’s football is widely followed and supported in Africa, leaving women’s football on the periphery.

Despite this setback, some women football teams continue to put in great performances in various competitions at the continental and international levels.

We profile Africa’s top women’s teams:

1. Nigeria

Nicknamed the Super Falcons, the team represents Nigeria in international women's football.

The team is Africa's most successful international women's football team, having won a record eleven Women's Africa Cup of Nations titles.

The team is also the only women's national team from the Confederation of African Football to have reached the quarterfinals in both the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Summer Olympics.

They are also one of the few teams in the world and only African team to have qualified for every edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, with their best performance at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup where they reached the quarterfinals.

2. South Africa

The team is nicknamed Banyana Banyana which means ‘The Girls.’

‘The Girls’ have competed at Olympic Games twice, two FIFA Women's World Cups, and 14 Women's African Cup of Nations.

South Africa finished runners up five times in the Women's African Cup of Nations, before winning the title once, beating Morrocco 2-1 in the final in 2022.

They also competed at all 10 COSAFA Women's Championships, where they won seven times, came second twice and finished in fourth place once.

3. Cameroon

The Indomitable Lionesses, as the team is known in African football circles, is controlled by the Cameroon Football Association.

The team finished second in the 1991, 2004, 2014, and 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations, participated in the 2012 Olympic Games and competed in their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015, before participating in the tournament again in 2019.

4. Morocco

The Atlas Lionesses played their first international match in 1998, as part of the third Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

The team has since participated in the FIFA Women's World Cup once, in 2023, making history in the same tournament by qualifying to the knock-out stages after placing second in the group stages.

They however fell short in the Round of 16 to France. The traditional rivals of Morocco are mainly Spain, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt.

In 2006, Morocco made its first ever final in the 2006 Arab Women's Championship, defeating Egypt 4–2 in the semi-final, before going down 0-1 against Algeria in the final.

5. Ghana

The Black Queens have one of the fiercest rivalries with the Super Falcons. 2002 Africa Women’s Player of the in Alberta Sackey and Adjoa Bayor who landed the gong in 2003 are some of the best players to have come through the Black Queen’s ranks.

Black Queens have been to three World Cup tournaments in 1999, 2003 and 2007, failing to go past the group stage on both occasions.

The time has graced the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations 11 times, reaching the quarter final in 1991, semifinal in 1995, and third in 2016.