History Beckons: Records Set To Tumble At 2026 WAFCON In Morocco

Several long-standing records could fall when the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) gets underway in Morocco on Sunday, July 26.

The expanded 16-team tournament is expected to mark a historic chapter in the competition, with several individual and team milestones within reach. In a release titled “TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Records That Could Be Broken,” the Confederation of African Football (CAF) highlighted a number of achievements that could be rewritten during the tournament, including appearance records, title wins and goalscoring feats.

Cameroon captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné is on the brink of making history. Should she feature in her side’s opening match against Mali at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium on Wednesday, July 29, she will become the first player to appear in eight WAFCON tournaments, surpassing Nigeria’s Onome Ebi, who played in seven editions.

Nigeria’s Francisca Ordega and Osinachi Ohale are also in line to extend their remarkable records. The Super Falcons duo currently share the record for the most WAFCON titles, with five championships each. If Nigeria successfully defend their crown, both players will claim a record-breaking sixth continental title.

CAF praised the pair as “perennial winners and overall leaders,” noting that their longevity and consistency have made them role models for generations of African footballers.

Another milestone that could be surpassed is the fastest goal in WAFCON history. Tunisia’s Mariem Houij has held the record since scoring just 17 seconds into her country’s match against Togo at the 2022 tournament. CAF described the strike as “a lightning-fast sprint followed by a clean finish,” but believes one of the 413 players expected to feature in this year’s competition could eclipse the record.

Nigeria legend Perpetua Nkwocha’s record of 11 goals in a single WAFCON tournament also remains intact. She established the mark during the 2010 edition, scoring 11 times, including hat-tricks against Mali and Cameroon.

CAF described the achievement as “an all-time high mark that remains the ultimate standard for goalscoring efficiency on the continent, 16 years later.”

The tournament’s overall goalscoring record is also under threat. The 2024 edition in Morocco produced 66 goals—the highest total in WAFCON history.

According to CAF, the expansion to 16 teams and the increase in the number of matches provide the ideal platform for a new scoring record to be set during the 2026 tournament.