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Zambia’s women’s national team have become the first side in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) history to finish the group stage with six points and still fail to qualify for the quarter-finals. The Copper Queens won two of their three Group C matches but were eliminated after a three-way tie on points with Nigeria and Malawi.
How the Group C drama unfolded
In Group C, Zambia beat Egypt 6–0 on matchday one, then lost 1–0 to Nigeria before beating Malawi 2–1 in their final game. Nigeria also finished on six points after defeating Egypt 6–2 in their last match, while Malawi reached six points by beating Nigeria 3–2 and Egypt 3–1 before losing to Zambia.
Tie-breaker rules decide Zambia’s fate
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With Nigeria, Malawi and Zambia all level on six points, CAF’s rules required the standings to be decided first by the head‑to‑head record among the three teams, not overall goal difference. When only the results between the three were considered, Nigeria and Malawi ranked above Zambia, sending the Copper Queens out despite having the best goal difference in the group.
Heartbreak for the Copper Queens
Zambia finished with eight goals scored and a +6 goal difference, the highest in Group C, yet still exited the tournament. The result ended their 2027 Women’s World Cup qualification hopes via WAFCON and left players and fans stunned by the cruel twist in the rules.
Malawi and Nigeria advance
Malawi topped Group C and Nigeria finished second, both progressing to the quarter-finals on the head‑to‑head criteria. Their advancement came at Zambia’s expense, producing one of the most dramatic and debated group-stage conclusions in WAFCON history.
