Ivory Coast women mark long-awaited return as 2026 WAFCON group stage continues

Ivory Coast will make their first appearance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 12 years on Monday as they face Burkina Faso in Group B of the 2026 tournament, while reigning champions South Africa take on Tanzania.

The second day of the competition follows opening wins for hosts Morocco and Algeria in Group A, and shifts the spotlight to Casablanca, where Ivory Coast’s women – known as the Elephantes – resume their continental journey with hopes of recapturing past highs.

Their match against Burkina Faso at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca is seen as potentially decisive in the battle for a place in the quarter-finals, with both sides aware that an early result could heavily influence the outcome of the group.

Ivory Coast’s last appearance at the finals came in 2014, when they produced one of the standout campaigns in their history by finishing third. That run included victory over South Africa in the third-place play-off, a result that underlined their status as one of the rising forces in the women’s game on the continent at the time.

Since then, the Ivorians have endured a long absence from the tournament, missing the subsequent editions and slipping away from the spotlight on the African stage. Their return in 2026 is therefore seen within the camp as an opportunity to restore the level that once made them a match for the continent’s leading teams.

The players and staff arrive in Morocco determined to show that the 2014 performance was no one-off, and that the current generation can establish a new platform for consistent success at this level.

Facing Burkina Faso in their opening fixture, Ivory Coast know that starting strongly will be crucial in a group that also features South Africa and Tanzania. Any slip in the first match could immediately complicate their route to the knockout phase, particularly with the defending champions lying in wait.

South Africa, who claimed the title at the last edition, open their defence against Tanzania on the same day in the other Group B encounter. Their status as holders adds further intensity to a group in which every point is expected to be fiercely contested.

For Ivory Coast, however, the immediate focus is on translating their long-awaited return into tangible progress. Twelve years after they last stepped onto this stage, the chance to revive old standards – and to make a fresh impression on African women’s football – begins against Burkina Faso in Casablanca.