Nigeria’s Super Falcons have been conspicuously absent from the CAF Best XI of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), despite reaching the quarter-finals of the tournament in Morocco.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiled its Team of the Tournament on Thursday, with Cameroon dominating the selection after winning their first-ever WAFCON title.
Cameroon leads the selection with four players, while Malawi and Morocco have two representatives each. Algeria also has two players, with Zambia completing the line-up with one representative.
Nigeria suffered a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to eventual champions Cameroon before losing 2-1 to South Africa in the play-off for a place in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup intercontinental play-offs. The result ended the Super Falcons’ record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since 1991.
CAF WAFCON 2026 Best XI
Goalkeeper
Michaely Bihina — Cameroon
Defenders
Ines Belloumou — Algeria
Nohaila Benzina — Morocco
Myriam Nyadjou — Cameroon
Hanane Aït El Haj — Morocco
Midfielders
Monique Ngock — Cameroon
Temwa Chawinga — Malawi
Marine Dafeur — Algeria
Forwards
Tabitha Chawinga — Malawi
Marie Ngah — Cameroon
Barbra Banda — Zambia
Head Coach
Valentine Nguele — Cameroon
The selection reflects Cameroon’s outstanding campaign, with goalkeeper Michaely Bihina also winning the Golden Glove, while Monique Ngock was named the tournament’s best player. Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga finished as the joint-top scorer with five goals.
Notably, no Nigerian player was included in CAF’s Best XI despite the Super Falcons being one of Africa’s most successful women’s national teams.
