10 women dominating WAFCON 2025: Queens of African football

The 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is in full swing, and Africa’s top football queens are already stealing the show. From game-changing goals to timely assists, these ten superstars are inspiring a continent and redefining what’s possible for women’s football.

Here are ten players you need to know, right now:

Asisat Oshoala

Six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year. First African woman to score in a UEFA Women’s Champions League final. Now lighting up the NWSL with Bay FC, she wasted no time at WAFCON, scoring Nigeria’s first goal just four minutes into their opener against Tunisia. Oshoala remains the blueprint: quick, ruthless, and the ultimate big-game player.

Rasheedat Ajibade

The Atlético Madrid forward is a nightmare for defenders. Versatile enough to play wide or behind the striker, Ajibade’s dribbling, directness, and game sense have already made her a standout in high-pressure moments, including at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Expect more big goals as the Super Falcons chase another title.

Read also: 2025 WAFCON: New era dawns for African women’s football with record prize money

Barbra Banda

Banda grabbed global headlines with back-to-back Olympic hat-tricks in Tokyo and repeated the feat in Paris 2024. Now with Orlando Pride in the NWSL, she’s already proving unstoppable in WAFCON 2025, scoring goals and dragging Zambia into the next stage of the tournament.

Racheal Kundananji

Banda’s partner-in-crime for Zambia is none other than Kundananji, explosive, powerful, and deadly in the box. After a record-breaking move to Bay FC, she’s now the most expensive African women’s footballer ever. Her pace and finishing make her one of the most closely marked players this tournament, for good reason.

Ndeye Awa Diakhate

She made history in 2022 by scoring Senegal’s first-ever goal in a WAFCON final stage; now she’s doing it again. The Olympique de Marseille forward is already one of this edition’s top scorers, with four goals. Quick and skilful, she’s the heartbeat of Senegal’s rising Lionesses.

Safietou Sagna

Captain of the Lionesses of Teranga, Sagna is the calm commander at right back. Combining athleticism with game intelligence, she locks down wingers and organises the defence.

Ghizlane Chebbak

Morocco’s iconic captain is as classy as they come. Best player of the 2022 edition, with three goals, Chebbak’s experience and set-piece mastery make her indispensable. The daughter of Moroccan football legend Larbi Chebbak, she’s now one of the tournament’s leading scorers and a symbol of the Atlas Lionesses’ golden generation.

Read also: WAFCON: Ihezuo’s late winner sends Super Falcons into quarter-finals

Fatima Tagnaout

One of the local league’s brightest gems, Tagnaout is a dribbling machine down the left for AS FAR. Her agility and crossing deliver constant danger. Named the best player in Morocco’s domestic league multiple times.

Jermaine Seoposenwe

Banyana Banyana’s forward brings brains and brawn to every game. Her hold-up play and selfless link-ups make her one of the most complete forwards in the tournament. South Africa will rely on its big-game instinct to push through the knockout stages.

Hildah Magaia

She stunned everyone at WAFCON 2022 with a match-winning brace in the final to secure South Africa’s first-ever title. Now starring for Mazatlán FC in Mexico, Magaia’s composure and finishing power continue to shine.