Nigeria to miss Women's World Cup after South Africa and Ghana win play-offs

What the report says

Nigeria have been eliminated from qualification for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup after losing 2-1 to South Africa in a play-off at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca, according to BBC Africa. It is the first time Nigeria will miss the tournament, ending a run of appearances at every edition since the competition began in 1991.

South Africa advanced after second-half goals from Thembi Kgatlana and Refiloe Jane, while Nigeria briefly set up a tense finish when Christy Ucheibe converted a stoppage-time penalty. South Africa goalkeeper Kaylin Swart then made a key late save to preserve the result. Nigeria had entered the tournament as Africa’s top-ranked side and favourites to retain their continental title, but they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Cameroon after an earlier group-stage defeat to Malawi.

BBC Africa reported that South Africa will now join Ghana in an inter-confederation qualifying tournament later in 2026. Ghana reached the same stage after beating Ivory Coast 2-1 earlier in the day in Casablanca. The broader route to Brazil is still unresolved: the teams must first compete in a six-nation league, with only the top two moving on to a final playoff for World Cup places.

The result matters because Nigeria are one of Africa’s most established women’s teams, with a record 10 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles, and their absence from the World Cup would be a significant shift in the regional landscape.