The stakes will be high when Côte d’Ivoire take on Burkina Faso in a highly anticipated West African derby at the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 on Monday at 2100hrs (local time) at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
Away from the three points on the line and a need to kickoff the tournament on a high note, the two neighbours understand what a positive result would mean for their fans back home.
Côte d’Ivoire return to the continent’s grandest competition for the first time in 12 years and are desperate to show that they belong to the high table. Their neighbours to the north, who made their debut in the 2022 edition, are hungry for another taste of continental football. The Burkinabe are riding a high wave and distancing themselves from the underdog tag in this fiery matchup.
Of high expectations, a chance at writing history with Reynald Pedros
Only three players in the current 26-woman Ivorian squad have previous WAFCON experience including Ange Koko N’guessan (Tenerife, Spain), Mariam Diakite (Fenerbahçe, Turkey) and Rebecca Elloh (Valencia, Spain). And for head coach Reynald Pedros, this is an opportunity to build a strong team that has youth exuberance and a blend of experience.
It is not just the trio that boast WAFCON experience. Pedros, who was at the helm of Morocco from November 2020 taking the Atlas Lionesses to their first ever WAFCON final in the summer of 2022 as well as securing a historic slot to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, is back in familiar territory.
“I know Morocco well. The organization is perfect and although the tournament format has changed to 16 teams, the objective remains the same for us – to give our all so that we have no regrets,” he says emphatically.
“The level of competition will be very high, and we hope to be the surprise of this WAFCON. Our objectives are to finish first in Group B, reach the quarterfinals and then qualify for the semifinals.”
A top four finish would guarantee an automatic ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil and a chance to better their WAFCON 2014 bronze medal – their last appearance at the continental competition.
With this at stake, their ensured a fortnight’s headstart to Morocco for a training camp, friendly games and an opportunity for the players to acclimatize. According to him, they are ready.
Captain Fantastic – Bernadette Amani Kakouna
The Ivorian captain Kakouna, who is coming off a glorious season with Bayern Munich after clinching the double – the Frauen Bundesliga (topflight league) and DFB-Pokal (German Cup), is excited about representing her nation at this level.
The 28-year old midfielder admits that lining up in the famous Ivorian orange is going to be emotional for her and her teammates but they have been dreaming about this moment for more than a decade.
With a confident look on her face, Kakouna says, “The national anthem is something sacred; hearing it at the WAFCON is motivating, and it is extraordinary to participate in this WAFCON edition. We are ready. We have trained for this.”
Balbone’s confidence, the Burkinabe timely return
Two WAFCON editions. Two unique opportunities to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil next year. A coincidence? Maybe yes. Maybe not. But for the Burkina Faso head coach Issa Balbone, the universe awards those who ask for their heart’s wishes.
And his wish this year is for Burkina Faso to lift the WAFCON 2026 trophy on Sunday, August 16 in only their second appearance at the competition. He describes that as the image he has of success at this tournament. Returning to Ouagadougou with this esteemed prize would be a life-changing feat.
To cross that line, the journey starts against their neighbours to the south – the Ivorians with whom they have established musicial, cultural, historical and football rivalry over the years.
The Ivorians made light work of their male counterparts 3-0 in the Round of 16 in January this year at the AFCON 2025 south of Casablanca at the Grand Stade de Marrakech but the women will be looking to make amends in Morocco’s commercial and economic capital on Monday.
“We want to start off on a high note in our opening game. We know that Côte d’Ivoire is ranked higher than us [in the FIFA rankings] but on the pitch, things are different. Football has evolved. We have a top level. We shall see during the game,” Balbone reveals confidently.
“Playing at the WAFCON is a celebration of African Football. There is rivalry in West Africa between Côte d’Ivoire and ourselves. Our players are confident. They understand the level when we face Côte d’Ivoire.”
The Lady Elephants are ranked 72nd in the world and seventh in Africa while the Lady Stallions sit in 118th position and are 16th on the continent.
Charlotte Millogo’s yearning for continuity
In April this year, Burkina Faso reached the final of the girls category at the CAF African Football Schools Championship in Zimbabwe, losing 9-10 to neighbours Ghana in a tightly contested fixture. Despite the loss, the Lady Stallions are inspired by the teenage girls’ summit on the continent. Finishing second place in Africa is no mean feat for U15 girls.
“When I look back at that result, I say to myself, why not us? We are immensely inspired by the Burkinabe girls that reached this final. We are here to compete. It is an opportunity to get maximum points for our team when we face Côte d’Ivoire,” midfielder Millogo says.
She continues, “We are looking for the kind of result that can get us far. We will take it one match at a time. A good result in the first match will help us to achieve our tournament objective. We are united, supportive, and we will give our best on the field.”
Burkina Faso have played three matches in WAFCON history; two 1-0 losses to Morocco and Senegal before securing a point in a 2-all draw with Uganda four years ago. The Lady Stallions are yet to keep a clean sheet at the biennial tournament.
Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire failed to score a single goal in the qualifiers for the current WAFCON edition after getting a bye in the first round thanks to their FIFA ranking before two goalless draws against Senegal saw them losing 4-5 on penalties.
An expansion of the tournament from 12 to 16 teams meant that they earned their slot courtesy of being among the continent’s top four teams joined by Cameroon, Mali and Egypt.
