* To be assisted on the lines by Queency Victoire from Mauritius and Tunisian Houda Afine with VAR by Dorsaf Ganouati (Tunisia) assisted by Zakaria Bouchtaoui (Morocco) and Leticia Antonella Viana (eSwatini)
* The final to be beamed live across Africa through SuperSport on DStv Channel 225 (https://dstv.stream) and on GOtv Channel 61 (https://gotv.stream)
* And on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) TV – including territories like the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and several territories in South America
By Duncan Mlanjira
Egyptian Shahenda Saad Ali Elmaghrabi has been selected as the centre referee for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) Morocco 2026 final between Malawi and Cameroon this Sunday evening (21h00) — along with other officials from seven African countries.
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A statement from Confederation of African Football (CAF) indicates that she will be assisted on the lines by Queency Victoire from Mauritius and Tunisian Houda Afine — with fourth official from Togo, Vincentia Enyonam, and the reserve assistant referee being Nafissatou Yekini Shitou from Benin.
Video assistant referee (VAR) will be handled by Dorsaf Ganouati from Tunisia assisted by Moroccan Zakaria Bouchtaoui and Leticia Antonella Viana from eSwatini with referee assessor from Senegal, Fatou Gaye.
To be played at the iconic Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, the 35-year-old Elmaghrabi will officiate her third straight WAfCON, who has been in charge of back-to-back 3rd-place matches at the 2022 and 2024 editions that were both hosted by Morocco.
“Elmaghrabi brings plenty of experience having officiated in every edition of the prestigious CAF Women’s Champions League continental final matches, including being the fourth official of the inaugural final in 2021,” says CAF in the statement.
“In 2022, Elmaghrabi became the first female referee to officiate in the Egyptian Premier League in a fixture between Smouha and Pharco — marking an important milestone for female referees in Egyptian football.
“For Sunday’s final, Elmaghrabi will be supported by an experienced multinational team of officials, reinforcing CAF’s emphasis on technical excellence.
“The final between Cameroon and Malawi represents the culmination of a tournament that has been filled with twists and turns, tense matchups and an overall indication of the remarkable growth of women’s football in Africa.
“With the weight of a nation on the line and history awaiting a new WAfCON champion in the 28-year history of the tournament, CAF’s appointment of officials from eight different countries, shows the continued representation across the African continent.”
Meanwhile, CAF indicates that for the first time ever, the final will be beamed live in territories like the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and several regions in South America.
Across Africa, the matches have been beamed live through SuperSport on DStv Channel 225 (https://dstv.stream) and on GOtv Channel 61 (https://gotv.stream).
The final will also be live on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) TV as “a new African champion will be crowned to bring the curtain down on a memorable tournament in Morocco”.
“Interest in the final stretches well beyond the continent, with broadcasters taking the action to viewers across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia-Pacific, Oceania and North America — underlining the growing global appeal of African women’s football.
“Across Africa, the match will enjoy extensive coverage through major pan-African partners CANAL+ and SuperSport, while a host of national and regional broadcasters will ensure supporters can follow the action in their local markets.
“These include Canal 2, CRTV and MSI in Cameroon and MBC in Malawi — giving supporters of both finalists the opportunity to share every moment of what promises to be an emotional and potentially history-making evening.
“Elsewhere on the continent, SABC will carry the final in South Africa, Azam TV in Tanzania and East Africa, KBC in Kenya, AfroSport TV in Nigeria, ZNBC in Zambia and Max TV in Ghana.
“Coverage will also be available through RTI in Côte d’Ivoire, RTB in Burkina Faso, RTCV in Cape Verde, Habesha TV in Ethiopia and RTGB in Guinea-Bissau, while host broadcaster SNRT will bring the action to audiences across Morocco.
“The European footprint is equally impressive. Channel 4 will broadcast the final Free-to-Air in the United Kingdom, with Ziggo in the Netherlands and DAZN DACH covering Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.
“The final will also be available through DAZN in Spain and Portugal, alongside Movistar in Spain, Sports TV in Portugal and Sport Italia in Italy.
“beIN Sports adds an even greater international reach, taking the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 final to audiences across the Middle East and North Africa, France, Asia-Pacific, Oceania and North America.
“The breadth of the broadcast footprint is another illustration of the accelerating growth of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON and the increasing international appetite for African women’s football,” says the statement.
Malawi Scorchers have surely played a part in this global interest having stunned 10-time title winners and defending champions Nigeria 3-2, overcoming Egypt 3-1 and losing to COSAFA rivals 1-2 but qualifying for the quarterfinals as group leaders.
Against all odds — having been beaten 0-4 by Ghana in the pre-WAfCON friendly in Rabat — the Scorchers brushed aside the Black Queens 2-1 to register an epic milestone of qualifying for their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027.
All from one debut appearance at the continental stage and they took a further incredible breakthrough to qualify for the final by coming from behind to beat Algeria 2-1 in the semifinals.
The Scorchers have scored in every match (12 goals), and have shown an ability to recover when odds didn’t seem to go their way: “We came here with a purpose: to fight for our country, and that is exactly what we have been doing,” said midfielder Leticia Chinyamula at a pre-match press conference.
Group stage results, standings and knockout stage fixtures (kick-off times CAT beamed live on SuperSport live on DStv Channel 225 (https://dstv.stream) and on GOtv Channel 61 (https://gotv.stream):
Group A
Algeria 2-0 Senegal
Morocco 4-0 Kenya
Senegal 1-0 Kenya
Morocco 1-0 Algeria
Senegal 0-0 Morocco
Kenya 0-2 Algeria
Group B
South Africa 1-2 Tanzania
Côte d’Ivoire 4-1 Burkina Faso
South Africa 2-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Burkina Faso 2-1 Tanzania
Burkina Faso 0-1 South Africa
Tanzania 1-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Group C
Zambia 6-0 Egypt
Nigeria 3-2 Malawi
Egypt 1-3 Malawi
Nigeria 1-0 Zambia
Egypt 2-6 Nigeria
Malawi 1-2 Zambia
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Group D
Ghana 2-0 Cape Verde
Cameroon 2-1 Mali
Ghana 0-1 Cameroon
Mali 3-2 Cape Verde
Mali 1-1 Ghana
Cape Verde 1-1 Cameroon
Quarterfinals
Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Algeria
Morocco 2-1 South Africa
Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
Malawi 2-1 Ghana
Semifinals
Algeria 1-3 Malawi
Morocco 0(1) – 0(3) Cameroon
World Cup 2027 play-off matches
South Africa 2-1 Nigeria
Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Ghana
Third place play-off
Algeria 1 (3) 1 (2) Morocco
WAfCON 2026 final
Tonight, August 16
Malawi v Cameroon (Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Rabat, (21h00)
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