Ivory Coast confirmed their place in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarter-finals after defeating Tanzania 2-0 in their final group-stage fixture. Although they were already on the brink of qualification, the victory sealed their progression in style, with Nsira Ouedraogo playing a decisive role by scoring the opener and winning the penalty that led to the second goal. The Ivorians will now take on Algeria in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

The Elephants believed they had made a dream start when Rosemonde Kouassi converted the rebound after Rebecca Elloh’s effort was saved in the eighth minute. However, the celebrations were cut short as the Washington Spirit forward was ruled offside.

Ivory Coast continued to apply pressure, with Ouedraogo forcing a comfortable save from Najat Idrisa with a low strike in the 16th minute. Moments later, Ouedraogo picked out Grace Sery, who controlled the ball brilliantly before seeing her close-range effort denied by the impressive Tanzanian goalkeeper.

Ouedraogo remained the biggest attacking threat throughout the first half. She sent a curling effort narrowly wide from outside the area before testing Idrisa again with a powerful back-post header that was tipped behind for a corner.

The breakthrough finally arrived after the restart. Sery delivered a dangerous cross into the area, where Ines Konan cleverly cushioned the ball into Ouedraogo’s path. The forward met it first time, guiding a superb volley with the outside of her left foot beneath the crossbar to give Ivory Coast the lead.

The goal reflected Ivory Coast’s control of the contest. They finished the match with 54 percent possession, registered seven shots, including four on target, and won five corners, while Tanzania managed only a single off-target attempt despite holding 46 percent of the possession.

With another convincing display, Ivory Coast head into the WAFCON quarter-finals full of confidence as they prepare for a crucial clash against Algeria.

Ivory Coast continued to dictate the pace after the restart and nearly doubled their advantage early in the second half. Ines Konan picked out Nsira Ouedraogo with a well-weighted pass down the right, but the forward’s low effort lacked power and was comfortably collected by Najat Idrisa in the 49th minute. Moments earlier, Ouedraogo had driven through midfield before earning a dangerous free-kick for her side.

Tanzania looked to respond just before the hour mark when Anastazia Katunzi surged through the middle and unleashed an effort from a central position. However, goalkeeper Aramatou Diakhité was alert and gathered the shot without difficulty in the 58th minute.

Diakhité was called into action again three minutes later, producing a fine double save to deal with a dangerous inswinging corner before safely claiming the ball.

Ouedraogo continued to be the standout performer and was rewarded for another determined run into the penalty area when she was brought down by a defender. The resulting spot-kick was calmly dispatched by Konan, who sent Idrisa the wrong way to extend Ivory Coast’s lead.

Play was then interrupted for several minutes following a heavy collision between Ouedraogo and Elizabeth Chenge. Both players received medical treatment before returning to their feet, with the Ivory Coast goalscorer completing the remainder of the match wearing a heavily bandaged head after the incident in the 81st minute.

Despite the late stages of the match, Ouedraogo continued to threaten and tested Najat Idrisa with a fierce strike from outside the penalty area in stoppage time. The Tanzanian goalkeeper reacted well, using both hands to push the effort away in the 90+3rd minute.

Tanzania managed to reduce the deficit in the closing moments after VAR awarded a penalty for a foul by Anastasie Gbehi on Bahati Steven. Diana Msewa stepped up and confidently converted from the spot, blasting her effort past the goalkeeper to make it 2-1 in the ninth minute of added time.

The victory further highlighted Ivory Coast’s impressive form under head coach Reynald Pedros. Since his appointment, the team has recorded 11 wins, three draws and just one defeat in 15 matches, with their only loss coming on penalties against Senegal in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations play-offs.

More importantly, the Elephants have reached the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals for only the second time in their history. Their previous best run came in 2014, when they secured a third-place finish, and they had failed to qualify for the tournament in every edition since then.

Ivory Coast will now take on Algeria in Saturday’s quarter-final, while Tanzania’s campaign comes to an end after finishing third in Group B. Despite opening the tournament with an impressive victory over South Africa, it was not enough to secure a place in the knockout stage.