The 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations final was an association football match that took place at Rabat Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on 26 July 2025, to determine the winners of 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. It was the 13th final of the biennial African women's association football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) contested between Morocco, in their second Wafcon final, and Nigeria, in their tenth Wafcon final. This was the first final between both teams at any major tournament.
Nigeria won the match in regulation time with a score of 3–2 for a record-extending 10th title, their fourth WAFCON title in five tournaments.
Morocco led 2-0 at the break through goals from Ghizlane Chebbak and Sanaa Mssoudy. But Nigeria after the break, pulled a goal back from the penalty spot in the 64th minute through Esther Okoronkwo. Subsequent goals from Folashade Ijamilusi to equalise in the 71st minute, and substitute Jennifer Echegini winner with two minutes of the game remaining, completed Nigeria's comeback.
Background The 2024 edition continued the expansion from previous tournament and was held between 5 July and 26 July 2025 in five cities, all in Morocco. Qualifying rounds were held between September and concluded 26 December 2023, with 42 out of the 54 African nations vying for the 11 available group stage spots through matches played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The tournament featured twelve teams divided into three groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, advanced to the knockout stage. Video assistant referee (VAR) technology was used throughout the tournament matches to assist refereeing decisions.
The tournament was delayed and took place Northern Hemisphere's Summer 2025, while retaining the name WAFCON 2024 and using the same host and venues.
The match marked Morocco's second consecutive appearance in a Women's Afcon final, having lost the 2022 final. This would be two consecutive finals on home soil for Morocco, and would be the first Wafcon final for manager Jorge Vilda after recently winning the 2023 Women's World Cup with Spain.
Nigeria played in a record-extending 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations title final, their recent since the 2018 final. With a record nine titles from 12 editions, they have won all previous 9 finals they played in. They were the highest-ranked team in the tournament, ranked number 36th in the world when the tournament began.
This would be the fourth meeting between the two teams at the WAFCON; the two sides had met in semifinals of the previous edition with Morocco winning 5–4 on penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw. Nigeria leads the all-time series against Morocco, with a 2–1–0 record.
Previous finals Only counting African Women's Championship era (1998 onwards). TeamPrevious final appearances (bold indicates winners) Morocco1 (2022) Nigeria9 (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018)
Venue
The final was held at the 21,000-capacity multi-purpose Rabat Olympic Stadium in the capital city of Rabat.
The stadium was built in a record time of nine months (approximately 36 weeks). The allocated budget was nearly 496 million dirhams, plus an additional 32.1 million dirhams for laying the turf and installing the stands. The project required intensive organization, with work proceeding day and night to ensure the stadium was ready before the inauguration of the Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat, the fourth stage of the 2025 Diamond League.
Road to the final Morocco
Having been selected as host consecutively, Morocco automatically qualified as the host nation for the tournament. Morocco finished as runners-up in the previous edition, their best run in the Wafcon.
As host they were drawn into Group A alongside Zambia, Senegal, and DR Congo. Morocco drew 2–2 in their first group match against Zambia, with Morocco equalizing twice in the match. Morocco managed to finish top in the group edging Zambia in goals difference, after a 4–2 win over Dr Congo which included an hattrick from Ghizlane Chebbak and a 1–0 win against Senegal. Their quarter-finals match would be against Mali, Morocco cruised to a 3–1 win, conceding late in the match.
In the semi-finals with Ghana, Morocco again conceded in the first half, going down 1–0 and until the 55th minute, when Ouzraoui scored the equalizer to draw 1–1 after extended regulation time, and win 4–2 in a four-round penalty shoot-out, sending Morocco to a second consecutive Wafcon finals.
Nigeria
As the most decorated women's team in Africa with nine Wafcon titles, Nigeria's Super falcons has won more continental titles than any other African national side – men's or women's. Nigeria qualified for the tournament with 7–1 aggregate win over Cape Verde in the second stage of the qualification rounds.
Nigeria's opening match of the tournament was against Tunisia, with the match finishing with a 3–0 win. Their second game against Botswana, Nigeria won 1–0 with Chinwendu Ihezuo scoring late. Nigeria drew 0–0 in their final group stage match against Algeria to finish on top of their group; they were yet to conceded after three matches. Nigeria's quarter-finals match would be against 2022 third place Zambia, who defeated them in that edition's third place play-off, ending with a 5–0 thumping, continuing Nigeria's perfect goals defence.
Their thirteenth straight semi-final, would be against the defending Wafcon champions, South Africa. Nigeria won 2–1, Rasheedat Ajibade would convert a penalty to score the first goal of the match in the 45th minute, but conceded for the first time when South Africa leveled the scoreline with a penalty of their own. The match appeared destined for extra time until Michelle Alozie scored late with a long range strike from 35-yards for the win, to see Nigeria through to the finals for the tenth time.
RoundOpponentsResultsGroup stageOpponentsResults2–2Match 13–04–2Match 21–01–0Match 30–0Group A winnersFinal standingsGroup B winnersOpponentsResultsKnockout stageOpponentsResults3–1Quarter-finals5–01–1 (a.e.t.; 4–2 p)Semi-finals2–1
Match Summary Both Nigeria and Morocco made just one change each to their semi final line up. Nigeria had the first real attack in the 4th minute with a corner kick, Folashade Ijamilusi with the cross as Michelle Alozie fired wide. Najat Badri hit from just outside the box was off target in the 8th minute. Ashleigh Plumptre fluffed the chance to clear the ball, and it fell just outside the area to Ghizlane Chebbak, whose rising shot gave goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie no chance as Nigeria conceded for the first time in open play at the tournament in the 12th minute. The Moroccan lead doubled in the 24th minute as the ball flew across the Nigerian goalmouth to Sanaa Mssoudy, with excellent footwork on the left side of the penalty area before drilling a low, left-footed shot into the far corner. The first half belonged entirely to Morocco, going into the break with a comfortable two-goal cushion. Nigeria, despite enjoying 56.9% possession, managed just two shots with only one weak effort on target went into half-time trailing 0–2.
In the second half as Nigeria were handed a lifeline in the 63rd minute when they were awarded a penalty. The decision came after Ijamilusi hooked the ball back, striking the arm of Moroccan defender Nouhaila Benzina. Okoronkwo converted the penalty down the middle, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo on a solo run slipped a well-timed pass through to Ijamilusi, who finished with her left foot into the bottom corner to level the match. Ijamilusi was replaced for Nigeria by Asisat Oshoala, and a minute later the referee initially awarded Morocco a penalty for handball following a corner, when Imane Saoud helped a cross onto the hand of Nigeria's Blessing Demehin, who was barely two yards away. Chebbak had the ball on the spot when Namibian referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa was called to the VAR screen and overturned her decision almost four minutes later.
With extra time looming, a set-piece routine saw Okoronkwo swing in a free-kick that fell kindly to unmarked Jennifer Echegini, to guide the ball in on the half-volley in the 88th minute. Morocco pushed for an equaliser in the final stages, forcing a few nervy moments, but Nigeria held their shape and saw out the result.
Details
Formation: 4–3–3GK 1Khadija Er-RmichiRB 17Hanane Aït El HajDF 3Nouhaila BenzinaDF 14Aziza Rabbah LB 2Zineb RedouaniCB 21Yasmin Mrabet LM 7Ghizlane Chebbak (c)MF 10Najat BadriRM 18Sanaâ MssoudyFW 19Sakina Ouzraoui DikiFW 9Ibtissam Jraïdi Substitutions:MF 5Sarah Kassi CF 20Imane Saoud FW 20Kenza Chapelle CM 6Élodie NakkachDF 4Siham BoukhamiDF 13Sabah SeghirMF 16Anissa LahmariGK 22Inès ArouaissaGK 23Hind HasnaouiManager: Jorge Vilda Formation: 4–3–3GK 16Chiamaka NnadozieRB 22Michelle Alozie CB 3Osinachi OhaleCB 14Oluwatosin DemehinLB 5Ashleigh PlumptreMF 18Halimatu Ayinde MF 13Deborah AbiodunFW 20Folashade Ijamilusi MF 15Rasheedat Ajibade (c)FW 19Chinwendu Ihezuo CF 6Esther Okoronkwo Substitutions:MF 12Jennifer Echegini FW 2Rinsola Babajide FW 8Asisat Oshoala DF 4Shukurat Oladipo DF 11Sikiratu Isa GK 1Tochukwu OluehiMF 7Toni PayneFW 9Ifeoma OnumonuMF 10Christy UcheibeFW 24Chioma OkaforManager:Justine Madugu
Woman of the Match: Esther Okoronkwo (Nigeria)
Assistant referees: Alice Umutesi (Rwanda) Tabara Mbodji (Senegal) Fourth official: Josephine Wanjiku (Kenya) Reserve assistant referee: Video assistant referee: Salima Mukansanga Guirat (Rwanda) Assistant video assistant referees: Letticia Viana (Eswatini) Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)
Statistics
+First half Statistic Goals scored 2 0 Total shots 6 5 Shots on target 2 1 Saves 1 0 Ball possession 43% 57% Corner kicks 1 4 Fouls committed 7 3 Offsides 0 0 Yellow cards 0 0 Red cards 0 0
+Second half Statistic Goals scored 0 3 Total shots 4 9 Shots on target 1 4 Saves 1 1 Ball possession 49% 51% Corner kicks 2 1 Fouls committed 6 3 Offsides 0 2 Yellow cards 0 0 Red cards 0 0
+Overall Statistic Goals scored 2 3 Total shots 10 14 Shots on target 3 5 Saves 2 1 Ball possession 46% 54% Corner kicks 3 5 Fouls committed 13 6 Offsides 0 2 Yellow cards 0 0 Red cards 0 0
Post-match
CAF president Patrice Motsepe and FIFA President Gianni Infantino were present on the pitch stage during the awards ceremony to hand out the medals and present the trophy to the Nigerian captain Ajibade.
Nigeria forward Esther Okoronkwo was named the player of the match for the final. Teammate Rasheedat Ajibade was named the player of the tournament by CAF's technical observers. Moroccan forward Chebbak became the tournament's top scorer with five goals. Okoronkwo, Jraidi, Ajibade and Chebbak were among the players named to the Team of the Tournament; composed largely of those who played in the final, the team also included goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and defender Michelle Alozie.
Two Nigerian players (Francisca Ordega and Osinachi Ohale) equalled the record of winning five Wafcon titles. Nigerian's Asisat Oshoala won her fourth Wafcon title.
Records Nigeria won their tenth Women's African cup of Nations title in the 13 editions of the competition, whilst maintaining their perfect win rate at WAFCON finals 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2024. Nigeria's win also marks the first time a national team won a WAFCON final after trailing by 2 goals. Nigeria's victory meant that they have now beaten a third host nation in a Wafcon final following successes over South Africa and Cameroon in 2000 and 2016 respectively. As winners, Nigeria was awarded a prize of U$1 million.
With this triumph, Nigeria became the first women's national team (across all continents) to reach 10 continental titles.
References
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