The 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is set to make history even before a ball is kicked, with several long-standing records under threat as Africa’s biggest women’s football tournament expands to 16 teams for the first time.

According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the 14th edition of the tournament could produce new milestones in appearances, titles, goalscoring and overall tournament records. In a release titled, “TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations records that could be broken,” CAF highlighted five major records that could fall in Morocco.

1. Gabrielle Onguéné could become the first player to feature in eight WAFCON tournaments

Cameroon captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné is on the verge of making history when the Indomitable Lionesses face Mali at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium on Wednesday, July 29.

Read Also: CAF Thanks Morocco After World Cup Exit

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If she features, Onguéné will make her eighth appearance at a WAFCON finals, surpassing Nigeria’s Onome Ebi, who has played in seven editions. The Cameroonian would become the first player in the competition’s history to appear in eight tournaments.

2. Francisca Ordega and Osinachi Ohale could extend their record to six titles

Super Falcons stars Francisca Ordega and Osinachi Ohale already hold the record for the most WAFCON titles won by any player, having lifted the trophy five times each.

Should Nigeria successfully defend their crown in Morocco, the duo will increase their tally to six titles, further extending a record that CAF says reflects their remarkable longevity and sustained excellence.

3. Mariem Houij’s fastest goal record could be eclipsed

Tunisia forward Mariem Houij currently owns the record for the fastest goal in WAFCON history after finding the net just 17 seconds into Tunisia’s match against Togo at the 2022 tournament.

With 413 players expected to participate in the expanded competition, CAF believes there is every chance that someone could score even earlier and establish a new benchmark.

4. Perpetua Nkwocha’s single-edition scoring record faces another test

Nigeria legend Perpetua Nkwocha remains the player with the most goals in a single WAFCON tournament after scoring 11 times at the 2010 edition.

Her remarkable campaign included hat-tricks against Mali in the group stage and Cameroon in the semi-finals, with the 11-goal haul remaining unmatched 16 years later.

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5. The tournament goals record could be surpassed

The highest-scoring WAFCON edition remains the 2024 tournament in Morocco, where 66 goals were scored.

However, the expansion from 12 to 16 teams means more matches will be played at the 2026 edition, increasing the likelihood of a new tournament scoring record.

CAF believes the larger competition provides the ideal platform for the existing mark to be surpassed as more teams compete for continental glory.

With more participating nations, additional fixtures and several players closing in on historic milestones, the 2026 WAFCON promises not only to crown Africa’s next champions but also to rewrite parts of the tournament’s record books.

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