The Significance of WAFCON 2025

You’ve probably heard the buzz about the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), but beyond the highlights and scorelines, this tournament represents a deeper shift in African football. From the thrilling comeback by Nigeria in the final to Morocco’s impressive hosting, WAFCON 2025 made a statement.

In this post, you’ll discover the key takeaways from the tournament: its structure, prize money upgrades, economic benefits, and its broader implications on women’s football in Africa and globally.

WAFCON 2025 Tournament Format

Rather than expanding too quickly, CAF retained the 12-team format, allowing for a balance between elite performance and growing participation. You’ll notice that teams were divided into three groups of four, with the top two and two best third-placed teams moving into the quarter-finals.

This structure created tension-packed matchdays and fewer “easy games.” If you followed Group B, where Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana clashed, you saw how even traditional powerhouses had to dig deep.

It’s a format that promotes competition without overwhelming developing teams, a smart choice by CAF at this stage of the women’s game on the continent.

Prize Money

One of the biggest shifts in this year’s edition was the increase in prize money. CAF announced a total prize pool of US$3.475 million, with US$1 million going to the champions, Nigeria. That’s a 100% increase compared to 2022, a move that signals new financial legitimacy for players and federations. You can read the official announcement on CAF’s website to understand the scale of this investment in women’s football.

This change didn’t just benefit the winners. Runners-up Morocco and semi-finalists South Africa and Ghana also enjoyed significant earnings. As you think about the value of women’s sport, this step is crucial in attracting investment, sponsorship, and media rights.

Economic Impact OF WAFCON 2025

You might assume the economic effects of a tournament like WAFCON are limited, but Morocco proved otherwise. With matches held in five cities, the tournament created ripple effects in hospitality, local transport, tourism, and temporary job creation.

Hotels in Rabat, Berkane, and Casablanca saw increased bookings, while small businesses near stadiums reported higher sales. If your country is considering bidding for a women’s football tournament, WAFCON 2025 gives you a clear model of how to drive economic value alongside sport.

Still, there’s a gap. CAF has yet to fully commercialize WAFCON in areas like merchandise, licensing, and global broadcast deals. This means there’s room for growth and opportunity. CAF may need to take a cue from how FIFA has repositioned its global tournaments like the Club World Cup 2025 to grow WAFCON’s commercial appeal. Just like in pre-season tournaments that offer visibility for agents and clubs, WAFCON serves as a scouting ground for top European women’s teams.

Performance on the Pitch

What makes WAFCON 2025 memorable is how much the on-field quality has improved. You could see tactical structure in teams like South Africa and Ghana. Nigeria, the champions, came back from a 2–0 deficit in the final, a testament to depth and resilience.

Meanwhile, Morocco continued their emergence as a major force, blending disciplined defense with vibrant attacking play. You saw players like Esther Okoronkwo, Chiamaka Nnadozie, and Ghizlane Chebbak shine on big stages, proving that the gap between Africa and global standards is narrowing.

Officiating, VAR and Controversies

Not everything went smoothly. You might have seen the heated discussions around VAR, especially the disallowed Moroccan penalty in the final. These moments highlight the need for better refereeing standards and training support if CAF wants to build trust in the process.

Still, the very presence of VAR signals growth. African women’s football is no longer playing catch-up. It is implementing global standards, even if the learning curve is still steep.

Cultural and Social Momentum

You’re witnessing a cultural moment too. Fans turned out in record numbers, especially in Morocco. The media coverage, though uneven, has improved, and conversations around equal pay, federation support, and athlete treatment have moved into mainstream discourse.

If you care about gender equity in sport, WAFCON 2025 matters. It has become a platform not just for goals and trophies, but for shifting how African society sees female athletes.

What’s Next?

Now that the dust has settled, the question is: what next? Will federations commit to investing in women’s leagues? Will broadcasters and brands see the opportunity in African women’s football?

If you work in sport, media, policy, or development, WAFCON 2025 gives you a blueprint of what works and where the gaps lie. The task ahead is to build on this momentum and transform the moment into a movement.