2026 AFCON Team Rankings

did you know international soccer is on for roughly 33% of any given year? that’s what you get when you actually do the math, compiling the international windows and tournaments for both men’s and women’s soccer. so while everybody is taking a break, many for as long as 4 years, from it in the wake of the 2026 World Cup ending… i am right back at it. if you’re reading this i hope you are too!

it’s time for yet another AFCON, this one doubling as deep stage 2027 World Cup qualifying. that alone makes it bigger than the last few iterations of AFCON we’ve had. so i couldn’t help but put together a smaller-side preview of what i know about these teams and what kind of tournament i am hoping to see out of them. a set of team tiers seemed to best fit this, so let’s get into it - working our way from the ground up.

i never enjoy counting anyone out, but ultimately there are a number of sides here that would shock me by making the knockout stage.

16: Egypt

the last team in, literally. they lost the final round playoff but were saved by being among the highest 4 FIFA-ranked losers. that loss was an aggregate 0-7 to Ghana; a tough draw, but we saw most teams in AFCON be able to compete with the Black Stars last summer. they feel multiple steps behind.

15: Burkina Faso

i can’t say I’ve seen this team play, but they at least have 2022 AFCON experience and enter on a good run of friendly results over the past year. no wins, but tons of draws against the likes of Senegal, Mali, and even Morocco.

14: Kenya

spent last Fall earning a comprehensive qualification over 2 legs against The Gambia, then following that up with close friendlies Away to a good Algerian team. The one highlight package i could find of them is well worth watching:

this is where we can start to think that MAYBE 2027 World Cup qualification could be possible. massive MAYBE - none of these teams should have those expectations, but they can believe a little bit.

13: Tanzania

they sneak into this tier above the others because their differentiating factor is having very recent AFCON experience, just 12 months ago. it was hit-and-miss; they matched South Africa to a great 1-1 draw, but followed that up by losing 1-4 to Ghana. they sport a pair of FC Juarez players - Lunyamila and Singano - but i’ll also be watching for Faith Chimzimu who was instrumental in their qualification.

12: Malawi

the worst team in the field via FIFA ranking making their WAFCON debut. results-wise they have a stronger case for being ranked 16 here, but they also have the Chawingas. Temwa specifically missed a lot of their 2025 games. The defensive record is really poor, but when you have a contender for Best Player in the World that gives enough hope to get into this tier.

11: Mali

big jump from Malawi to Mali. this is a good defensive team that includes Aliya Diagne of the UCF Knights. Aissata Traore of my Boston Legacy leads the line up front. they also made the quarterfinals of last tournament, and a match of that run here would put them in a playoff to go to the final intercontinental World Cup playoff. i have a lingering feeling that i have them a tier too low. but it’s hard to justify that after they snuck in here via the “loser rankings” rule after losing the actual play-in to…

10: Cabo Verde

normally i would never have a debutant this high up a list above multiple teams that played in the tournament’s last edition. however, the Blue Sharks beat Mali directly in the qualification playoff for this tournament 4-3 on aggregate, getting the job done Away in the 2nd leg too. i wish i had more on this team, i truly don’t, but i can’t wait to meet them next week.

it’s time to dream on for a World Cup for the fans of these teams. that achievement is well within their possibility. it might need to take an upset, but anybody should get exciting if all they need is 1 upset to make a World Cup.

9: Cameroon

failed to qualify for the last 12-team AFCON, but have a rich history from older generations making the final of this tournament 3 times from 2004-2016. World Cup-wise, not only did they qualify in 2015 & 2019 but they advanced to the Round of 16 both times. the new generation needs to tap in, here’s their chance.

8: Cote d’Ivoire

strong 2014-2015 with an AFCON semifinal paired with a World Cup appearance, but they too did not qualify for this 2025 tournament. why should fans #BELIEVE? they’re led by a captain in Bernadette Kakounan who impressed Bayern Munich enough to bring in and they’ve got one of the best outside midfielders in the NWSL in Rose Kouassi. they lost the playoff to Senegal, only in penalties, and their ranking kept the floor high enough to qualify for this. only 2 losses since 2022 ended!

7: Senegal

Senegal enter on back-to-back quarterfinal runs in WAFCON. their last exit was nearly a semfinal appearance as they brought (at the time) reigning champion South Africa into penalties! they’re also the first team of this list i have watched enough of to be a little knowledgable about them: it’s tough defending against the ball and Route 1 with it. the style fits the personnel well. Adji Ndiaye was my favorite goalkeeper of 2025 AFCON as an 18 year old so i am most excited to see more of her.

6: Algeria

another team that brought one of the continent’s best to penalties last summer, nearly beat Ghana. they have a really impressive defense aided by a pair of great fullbacks and can take anybody to spot kicks off a 0-0. they’re what i call a Chalk Possession team, quick to switch between dominating the ball as a favorite or sitting back as an underdog. they’ll be desperate for an attacking match-winner to break out though, the biggest piece missing from the team.

5: Zambia

i fear i might have them too high on this list, their 0-5 exit to Nigeria last year is burned into my mind. but they also made the semifinals in 2022 which also got them into the 2023 World Cup. Barbra Banda is fantastic, but what non-international sickos might not know is that Racheal Kundananji is just as important to this national team; her 2025 AFCON was the best i’ve seen her play anywhere since moving to the NWSL. the key is for the defensive structure to hold on enough to let those 2 win them games.

teams at this mark or further North are the ones i would be shocked to see get eliminated from the 2027 World Cup this summer. now, we’re starting to talk about contenders for the actual trophy at hand here. because we’re playing for a lot more than the World Cup!

4: South Africa

outside of the special Equatorial Guinea generation from 2008-2012, South Africa are the only other team to curb Nigeria’s vicegrip on WAFCON. 4 years ago they lifted the trophy beating Hosts Morocco in the final. they roll into this summer with a domestic-heavy squad, led in the back line and midfield by Bambanani Mbane and Refiloe Jane respectively. Add in Linda Motlhalo and Thembi Kgatlana and you’ve got a team with a starting spine just about as good as anybody’s.

the midfield is good enough running the show in possession, but the team prefers to be more against it, most dangerous in transition moments from turnovers in the press or direct counterattack soccer. despite being solid 2025 AFCON, at no point did they look truly title-contending. their best soccer of the last 3 years was 3 years ago in the World Cup Down Under - they’ll need to get back to that level if they want to win #2.

3: Ghana

Ghana feel a step below these other Top 4 teams on paper, but when it came to the actual soccer played last tournament they were the clear 3rd best team if not 2nd. they deserved more than the result they actually got out of every game, including the semifinal where they just lost in penalties to Hosts Morocco after playing bold and pressing the hell out of them. underrated last year was centerback Susan Ama Duah who will need another big tournament for them to get over the title line - an achievement that the nation has been painfully close to in the past, especially in the early part of this century.

2: Morocco

you wanna talk pressure? Morocco have been “generously” handed 4 AFCONs in a 4 year span, this one being the 3rd Women’s edition in a row after the nation lost the past 2 finals in front of their own fans. last year, they let it slip after amassing a 2-0 lead at halftime over giants Nigeria. so yes, despite the nation never even reaching the semifinal of this event until this decade, Morocco is in territory where anything other than finally bringing that trophy home would be a disappointment.

it’s a shame their FA sucks so much and their coach is still Jorge Vilda, because the players themselves are a fun team to root for in a vacuum. Ghizlane Chebbak won the Cup of Nations Golden Boot last year and likely wins the Golden Ball if they win that final. Morocco want to dominate the game with the ball, but as a collective are still adjusting to it and are susceptible when a good enough team wants to press them. still, they are a clear 2nd best team on the continent on home soil and despite not being the best team, certainly face the most presure.

1: Nigeria

the hunt for title 11, and they are probably going to do it as much as i want them to get unseated. while they still have the best Starting 11 on the continent, a handful of others can compete with that, but when it comes to the depth nobody is close to touching the Super Eagles. Ajibade off a deserved Golden Ball leads the best midfield on the continent; Okoronkwo might not even a starter and yet completely flipped that final for them in 2025; Osinachi Ohale is an unsung centerback hero; i could keep going with more names particularly from North America but we would be here forever.

their dynasty has not always been Murderer’s Row - 2014 was the last time that they won this title in a final with a multi-goal victory - but they just feel inevitable especially with depth that nobody can hold a flame to. i will be rooting against them as default for a potential repeat champion, but i am excited once the summer ends to get on board with them to have a great 2027 World Cup. hopefully somebody unseats them here though.