history of women’s africa cup of nations

The History of Women’s Africa Cup of Nations

The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is an international football tournament held for women’s national teams of Africa. The tournament was first held in 1991 and has been held every two years since then, with the exception of 2013.

Early Years (1991-2000)

• The first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations was held in 1991 in Nigeria, with 12 teams participating.

• Nigeria won the inaugural tournament, defeating Ghana 1-0 in the final.
• In 1995, Nigeria won the tournament again, this time defeating South Africa 1-0 in the final.
• In 1998, South Africa won the tournament, defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final.

Modern Era (2000-2010)

• In 2000, Nigeria won the tournament for the third time, defeating Ghana 2-0 in the final.
• In 2002, Nigeria won the tournament again, this time defeating South Africa 2-1 in the final.
• In 2004, Nigeria won the tournament for the fifth time, defeating Ghana 4-0 in the final.
• In 2006, Nigeria won the tournament for the sixth time, defeating South Africa 1-0 in the final.

Recent Years (2010-2020)

• In 2010, Equatorial Guinea won the tournament, defeating Nigeria 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1.
• In 2012, Equatorial Guinea won the tournament again, defeating Nigeria 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1.
• In 2014, Nigeria won the tournament for the seventh time, defeating Equatorial Guinea 2-0 in the final.
• In 2016, Nigeria won the tournament for the eighth time, defeating Cameroon 1-0 in the final.
• In 2018, Nigeria won the tournament for the ninth time, defeating South Africa 4-2 in the final.

The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has been dominated by Nigeria, with the country winning nine out of the 12 tournaments held so far. The tournament has been an important platform for African women’s football, providing a stage for teams to compete and develop their skills.

As the tournament continues to grow and gain popularity, it is expected that more teams will challenge Nigeria’s dominance in the future.