Association football is among the most popular sports in Africa, with eight members of the Confederation of African Football having competed at the sport's biggest international event, the FIFA Women's World Cup. The highest ranked result in the Women's World Cup for an African team is quarter-finals in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup by Nigeria.
Overview 1991 (12) 1995 (12) 1999 (16) 2003 (16) 2007 (16) 2011 (16) 2015 (24) 2019 (24) 2023 (32) 2027 (32) 2031 (48) 2035 (48) TotalTeams 20Top 16 — — — — — — 1 2 3 6Top 8 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1Top 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Top 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1st 0 2nd 0 3rd 0 4th 0
Country # Years Best result 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023 QF 1999, 2003, 2007 GS 2015, 2019, 2027 R2 2019, 2023 R2 2023, 2027 R2 2011 GS 2015 GS 2023 GS 2027 TBD 2027 TBD
Results Most finishes in the top four None
Team results by tournament Legend
— Champions — Runners-up — Third place — Fourth place QF — Quarter-finals R2 — Round 2 R1 — Round 1
Q — Qualified for upcoming tournament TBD — To be determined (may still qualify for upcoming tournament) — Qualified but withdrew — Did not qualify — Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned — Hosts — Not affiliated in FIFA
The team ranking in each tournament is according to FIFA. The rankings, apart from the top four positions, are not a result of direct competition between the teams; instead, teams eliminated in the same round are ranked by their full results in the tournament. In recent tournaments, FIFA has used the rankings for seedings for the final tournament draw.Seeding of national teams (PDF). . Accessed 12 September 2016.
For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.
Team1991(12)1995(12)1999(16)2003(16)2007(16)2011(16)2015(24)2019(24)2023(32)2027(32)2031(48)2035(48)TotalQual.Comp. ×××ו••••QTBDTBD18 • × • • • • R2 R2 • Q TBD TBD 3 11 × × × • • R1 • × • • TBD TBD 1 8 • • R1 R1 R1 • • • • TBD TBD TBD 3 12 × × × • • • R1 • • • TBD TBD 1 9 × × × × • × × × • Q TBD TBD 1 5 × × • • • • • • R2 Q TBD TBD 2 10 R1 R1 QF R1 R1 R1 R1 R2 R2 • TBD TBD 9 12 × • • • • • • R1 R2 TBD TBD TBD 2 11 × • × • • × • • R1 • TBD TBD 1 9
Tournament standings Team Champions Finals Semi-finals Quarter-finals Second round 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Overall team records As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. 3 points per win, 1 point per draw and 0 points per loss.
Results through 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
Team30561923652183051212942022106911763047115616431023113300327030033160
Appearances Ranking of teams by number of appearances TeamAppearancesRecord streakActive streakDebutMost recentBest result (* = hosts) 9 9 9 1991 2023 (1999) 3 3 0 1999 2007 (1999, 2003, 2007) 2 2 0 2015 2019 (2015, 2019) 2 2 2 2019 2023 (2023) 1 1 0 2011 2011 (2011) 1 1 0 2015 2015 (2015) 1 1 1 2023 2023 (2023) 1 1 1 2023 2023 (2023)
Team debuts Year Debutants Total 1991 1 1999 1 2011 1 2015 , 2 2019 1 2023 , 2 2027 , 2Total 10
Summary of performance This table shows the number of countries represented at the Women's World Cup, the number of entries (#E) from around the world including any rejections and withdrawals, the number of African entries (#A), how many of those African entries withdrawn (#A-) before/during qualification or were rejected by FIFA, the African representatives at the Women's World Cup finals, the number of World Cup Qualifiers each African representative had to play to get to the World Cup (#WCQ), the furthest stage reached, results, and coaches.
Year Host Size African finalists Stage Results Coach 1991 12 48 8 4Congo, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe withdrew during the tournament. 3 Group stage lost 0–4 , lost 0–1 , lost 0–2 Jo Bonfrère 1995 12 55 8 2Cameroon and Guinea withdrew during the tournament. 3 Group stage lost 0–8 , drew 3–3 , lost 2–3 Paul Hamilton1999 16 67 15 4Namibia, Kenya and Sierra Leone withdrew during the qualification. Mozambique withdrew during the tournament. 4 Group stage drew 1–1 , lost 0–7 , lost 0–2 Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie 5 Quarter-finals won 2–1 , lost 1–7 , won 2–0 , lost 3–4 Mabo Ismaila2003 16 99 22 3Botswana, Guinea-Bissau and Swaziland withdrew during the qualification. 7 Group stage lost 0–1 , lost 0–3 , won 2–1 Oko Aryee 5 Group stage lost 0–3 , lost 0–5 , lost 0–3 Samuel Okpodu2007 16 120 35 9Congo, Eritrea, Lesotho, Libya, Namibia, Swaziland and Uganda withdrew during the qualification. Central African Republic were disqualified. Original hosts Gabon withdrew from the tournament. 5 Group stage lost 1–4 , lost 0–4 , lost 2–7 Isaac Paha 5 Group stage drew 1–1 , lost 0–2 , lost 0–1 Ntiero Effiom2011 16 125 24 4Egypt, Kenya, Namibia and Togo withdrew during the qualification. 6 Group stage lost 0–1 , lost 2–3 , lost 0–3 Marcello Frigério 5 Group stage lost 0–1 , lost 0–1 , won 1–0 Ngozi Eucharia Uche2015 24 134 26 5Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mozambique, Sierra Leone withdrew during the qualification. 7 Round of 16 won 6–0 , lost 1–2 , won 2–1 , lost 0–1 Carl Enow 9 Group stage lost 0–10 , lost 2–3 , lost 1–3 Clémentine Touré 7 Group stage drew 3–3 , lost 0–2 , lost 0–1 Edwin Okon2019 24 144 25 1Sierra Leone withdrew during the qualification. 7 Round of 16 lost 0–1 , lost 1–3 , won 2–1 , lost 0–3 Alain Djeumfa 7 Round of 16 lost 0–3 , won 2–0 , lost 0–1 , lost 0–3 Thomas Dennerby 7 Group stage lost 1–3 , lost 0–1 , lost 0–4 Desiree Ellis2023 32 172 45 5DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sudan withdrew during the qualification. 6 Round of 16 lost 0–6 , won 1–0 , won 1–0 , lost 0–4 Reynald Pedros 10 Round of 16 drew 0–0 , won 3–2 , drew 0–0 , drew 0–0 (lost 2–4 ) Randy Waldrum 10 Round of 16 lost 1–2 , drew 2–2 , won 3–2 , lost 0–2 Desiree Ellis 10 Group stage lost 0–5 , lost 0–5 , won 3–1 Bruce Mwape
Not yet qualified 44 of the 54 active FIFA and CAF members have never appeared in the final tournament.
Legend TBD — To be determined (may still qualify for upcoming tournament) — Did not qualify — Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned — Not affiliated in FIFA — Qualified, but withdrew before Finals
Country Number of Qualifying attempts 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 2027 2031 2035 5 וו••×וTBDTBDTBD 3 ×××ו×ו•TBDTBDTBD 4 ××××ו•••TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 0 ×××××××××TBDTBDTBD 2 ××××××ו•TBDTBDTBD 0 ×××××××××TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××ו××TBDTBDTBD 2 ××××××ו•TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 4 ×ו•••×××TBDTBDTBD 5 ×ווו••TBDTBDTBD 3 ××וו×וTBDTBDTBD 5 ××וו•••TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 2 ××××××ו•TBDTBDTBD 5 •×•×••×וTBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 4 ×××וו••TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××ו××TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 1 ××××××ו×TBDTBDTBD 0 ×××××××××TBDTBDTBD 6 ××ו•••••TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××ו××TBDTBDTBD 2 ×××ו××וTBDTBDTBD 5 ×××ו••••TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××ו××TBDTBDTBD 3 ××ו•××וTBDTBDTBD 6 ××ו•••••TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××ו××TBDTBDTBD 1 ×××××××וTBDTBDTBD 0 ×××××××××TBDTBDTBD 2 Part of •×•TBDTBDTBD 0 ×××××××××TBDTBDTBD 6 ××ו•••••TBDTBDTBD 2 ×××ו××וTBDTBDTBD 3 ××××ו•×•TBDTBDTBD 4 ×ו•××ו•TBDTBDTBD 4 ××ו×ו••TBDTBDTBD
Competitive history 1991: disappointing debut With the first FIFA Women's World Cup in China, Nigeria became the only African representative in the tournament, having won the inaugural 1991 African Women's Championship after beating Cameroon. In the first World Cup for Africa's only representative, Nigeria had a disappointing show. Being drawn with Germany, Italy and Chinese Taipei in group C, Nigeria were completely obliterated in the tournament, with a heavy loss to Germany 0–5 and two hard-fought losses to Italy 0–1 and Chinese Taipei 0–2. Nigeria left the tournament pointless and goalless, which left Africa little to demonstrate at the women's world stage.
1995: first point, but still the same In the edition four years later in Sweden, the Nigerians were again Africa's only representative after beating South Africa in the final of the 1995 African Women's Championship. Drawn with Canada, England and eventual champions Norway, Nigeria finally achieved its first point, a 3–3 draw with North American opponent Canada; but defeats to England and especially, the heavy loss to Norway 0–8, sent Nigeria to bottom of the group, with Africa still failed to impress at the women's world stage.
1999: historic win and record debutants By reaching the final of the 1998 African Women's Championship, Nigeria and Ghana qualified for the World Cup held in the United States, with the latter being the historic debut. This World Cup marked for the first time, Nigeria managed to progress from the group stage, with two wins against debutant North Korea and European opponent Denmark proved the difference, making their heavy loss 1–7 to the United States only a temporary setback in Nigeria's success. The Nigerians then played all out against South American powerhouse Brazil, which saw Nigeria lost 3–4 due to a golden goal in extra time, making this World Cup Nigeria's most successful up to date. Ghana, on the other hand, was not successful, only acquired one point in the group stage, a 1–1 draw against Australia, with two heavy losses to China and Sweden condemned Ghana to bottom of the group D.
2003: same participants but with disappointment After the 1999 phenomenon, Nigeria and Ghana returned to the United States for the 2003 edition, hoping to repeat the same feat. However, the return proved to be a nightmare, with Nigeria found itself in group A against hosts and defending champions United States, alongside European giant Sweden and rising Asian power North Korea; Nigeria were totally humiliated after losing all three matches and conceding 11, scoring none, the first time since 1991 that Nigeria could not score a goal. Ghana was more impressive a bit in group D, earning a historic win against old foe Australia 2–1, but two earlier losses to China and Russia prevented Ghana from progressing.
2007: same participants, with only worse performance The 2007 edition held in China was the most disappointing performance for both Nigeria and Ghana, Africa's only representatives for a third consecutive time. Drawn in group B and, like 2003, again facing the United States, Sweden and North Korea, the Nigerians did a better work by holding Sweden 1–1, but defeats to North Korea and the United States condemned the Super Falcons to bottom place. Ghana, meanwhile, did even worse, losing all three games in group C, against Australia 1–4, Canada 0–4 and Norway 2–7, and ended up in bottom place as well. With only a point gained, Africa once again failed to impress at the women's stage.
2011: change of debutant, but same old results The 2011 World Cup in Germany marked the absence of Ghana – the two African representatives were Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. Like 2003 and 2007, neither Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea could barely perform at its full extent in the competition as well. In Group A, Nigeria faced up against the hosts, powerhouse and then-world champions Germany, rising European power France and North American foe Canada; all what Nigeria could do was a win against Canada 1–0, while defeats with the same scoreline to Germany and France ended any automatic progression hope for the Super Falcons. Equatorial Guinea were drawn in group D, and faltered in the group stage with three straight defeats, although it did perform bravely against European giant Norway and Asian powerhouse Australia, losing just by one-goal margin before getting thumped 0–3 by Brazil.
2015: historic debutants record and Africa's first roar in 16 years