The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations hands out eight quarter-final places. Three of them are taken.
Morocco and Algeria went through on Monday when Group A closed. Cameroon had done it a day earlier.
Kenya, Senegal and Cape Verde are out.
Five places and three nights remain: Group B is settled on Tuesday, Group C on Wednesday and Group D on Thursday.
Group A was won by the only side yet to concede
Morocco finished on seven points without conceding. They beat Kenya 4-0, Algeria 1-0 and drew 0-0 with Senegal.
In that last match they had twenty-eight attempts, touched the ball forty-seven times inside the opposition box and missed a penalty. They did not score.
Algeria finished second on six points and reach the quarter-finals for the second time in their history. They had won three of their previous nineteen matches at the finals; in this edition they have won two.
Senegal go out on four points after reaching the quarter-finals in each of the two previous editions. Kenya leave with no points, no goals and seven conceded: they have still never won or drawn a match at the finals.
Six points are not worth the same in every group
That is what explained the weekend and it still explains what is left.
Cameroon qualified on six points with two matches played because their two pursuers, Ghana and Mali, play each other on Thursday: one of them has to drop points.
Malawi also have six and are not through, because Zambia and Nigeria play other opponents and all three could finish level. If that happens, the tiebreaker is not overall goal difference but the head-to-head table between the teams involved.
Morocco were in exactly that position on Sunday. A draw was enough.
Group B is the only one with all four alive
Ivory Coast lead on four points, the lowest total of the four group leaders. Burkina Faso and Tanzania have three. South Africa, champions in 2022, are bottom on one.
Nobody has won twice and all four fit inside three points. It closes on Tuesday with Burkina Faso v South Africa and Tanzania v Ivory Coast.
In Group C the debutants lead and the champions are second
Malawi are making their tournament debut and lead on six points. Nigeria, who have won ten of the thirteen Women’s Africa Cup of Nations recognised by CAF, are second on three.
Zambia have the same three points and a better goal difference — a +5 that only Morocco match in the whole tournament — but sit third: Nigeria beat them 1-0 head-to-head, and that is the first tiebreaker.
Egypt have conceded nine goals in two matches.
Group D is playing for second place
Cameroon are already through. Ghana and Mali arrive level on three points and meet on Thursday, so that match decides the other place. Cape Verde have nothing left to play for.
What comes next
The quarter-finals are on 8 and 9 August, and the four semi-finalists will qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
Morocco and Algeria already know they will be in that round. The other six teams in it will be decided this week.
