2025 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup

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Host country Mauritania
CityNouakchott
Dates22 – 31 May
Teams8 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Women's Cup WAFU-A 2025
Tournoi Féminin UFOA A Mauritanie 2025
Tournament details
Host country Mauritania
CityNouakchott
Dates22 – 31 May
Teams8 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue2 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Sierra Leone (1st title)
Runners-up Senegal
Third place Liberia
Fourth place Mali
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored49 (3.06 per match)
Top scorer(s)Senegal Hapsatou M. Diallo
(5 goals)
Best playerSierra Leone Hannah Juana
Best goalkeeperSierra Leone Hannah Juana
← 2023
TBD →

The 2025 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup (French: Coupe féminine de la zone A de l'UFOA 2025; Arabic: كأس اتحاد غرب إفريقيا للسيدات منطقة أ 2025) was the third edition of the WAFU Zone A Women's Cup, an international women's football tournament contested by the women's national association football teams of West Africa zone A organized by the West African Football Union (WAFU). Mauritania hosted the tournament from 22 to 31 May 2025, marking the first-ever women's international football competition to take place in the country.[1]

Senegal were two-time champions, having won every edition of the tournament to date.[2] However, they fell short in their title defense after a 0–1 defeat to Sierra Leone in the final.[3] Conversely, Sierra Queens; who had never progressed beyond the group stage in prior editions, enjoyed a historic campaign, culminating in their maiden title triumph.[4][5] Senegal's Hapsatou Malado Diallo claimed the Top Scorer award for the second consecutive time, netting five goals throughout the competition. Sierra Leone's goalkeeper, Hannah Juana was named both Best Player and Best Goalkeeper, following a series of standout performances that played a pivotal role in her nation's maiden title victory.[6]

Of the eight participating teams, hosts Mauritania scored their first-ever goal in the tournament and went on to secure their maiden victory; both in the competition and on the international stage, by defeating Guinea-Bissau in their final group-stage match.[7]

Participating teams

Venues

On 14 May 2025, WAFU A confirmed the selection of two stadiums within the Mauritanian capital to host the tournament matches.

Nouakchott
Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium Ksar Stadium
Capacity: 8,200 Capacity: 5,000

Match officials

As of 22 May 2025, the following match officials were confirmed for the tournament.[11][12]

Referees

  • The Gambia Fatou Ngum
  • Guinea Félicité Kourouma
  • Liberia Love Whyee
  • Mali Aissata Diarra
  • Mauritania Aissata Lam
  • Mauritania Yacine Samassa

Assistant referees

  • Cape Verde Marisa Monteiro
  • The Gambia Abbie Ceesay
  • Guinea-Bissau Cadidjatu Mancal
  • Mali Mariam Coulibaly
  • Mauritania Diba Houleye

Group stage

WAFU A initially announced the tournament schedule, including kick-off times and venues, on 14 May 2025. However, the schedule was completely rescheduled on 18 May due to visa issues that delayed the arrival of most delegations to Mauritania, with the tournament now set to start on 22 May.[13]

Tiebreakers

In the group stage, Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  5. Goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Drawing of lots.

All times are local, GMT (UTC).

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Mali 3 2 1 0 10 2 +8 7 Advance to knockout phase
2  Liberia 3 1 2 0 5 3 +2 5
3  Mauritania (H) 3 1 1 1 3 6 −3 4
4  Guinea-Bissau 3 0 0 3 2 9 −7 0
Source: UFOA A
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Mauritania 0–5 Mali
Report
Referee: Fatou Ngum (Gambia)
Guinea-Bissau 1–3 Liberia
Iala 16' Report
Guinea-Bissau 1–4 Mali
 Report
Referee: Aida Sy (Senegal)
Liberia 1–1 Mauritania
Morris 56' Report Diabira 87' (pen.)
Mali 1–1 Liberia
Dembele 21' Report Yantay 45+3'
Referee: Fatou Ngum (Gambia)

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Senegal 3 2 1 0 9 2 +7 7 Advance to knockout phase
2  Sierra Leone 3 1 1 1 5 6 −1 4
3  Guinea 3 1 0 2 7 9 −2 3
4  Gambia 3 1 0 2 6 10 −4 3
Source: UFOA A
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Senegal 2–1 Guinea
 Report
Sierra Leone 0–3 Gambia
Report
Referee: Love Whyee (Liberia)
Sierra Leone 3–1 Guinea
 Report
Referee: Fatou Ngum (Gambia)
Gambia 0–6 Senegal
Report
Guinea 4–3 Gambia
 Report
Referee: Aida Sy (Senegal)
Senegal 1–1 Sierra Leone
H. Diallo 87' Report Jumu 3'

Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, a penalty shoot-out is used to decide the winner if necessary.

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
29 May – Nouakchott
 
 
 Mali0
 
31 May – Nouakchott
 
 Sierra Leone1
 
 Sierra Leone1
 
29 May – Nouakchott
 
 Senegal0
 
 Senegal1
 
 
 Liberia Red card0
 
Third Place
 
 
31 May – Nouakchott
 
 
 Mali0
 
 
 Liberia1

Semi-finals

Mali 0–1 Sierra Leone
Report S. Kamara 82'
Senegal 1–0 Liberia
H. Diallo 70' (pen.) Report
Referee: Fatou Ngum (Gambia)

Third place play-off

Mali 0–1 Liberia
Report Glao 63'

Final

Senegal and Sierra Leone contested the final for the first time in the history of the competition. The Lionesses of Teranga as two-time champions, entered the match as the tournament's most successful team,[14] while Sierra Queens reached the final for the first time.[15] The two sides had previously met three times in the competition, most recently in the group stage of the current edition, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Senegal had won one and drawn one of the two earlier encounters.

Sierra Leone[16]
Senegal[17]
GK21Hannah Juana
MF7Salamatu Kamara (C)
DF3Juliet BrimaYellow card 44'
DF4Kumba Abu
DF5Mabel Gbongay
MF6Jeneba Koroma
MF12Abibatu Bangura
MF14Fatmata Turay
FW18Wuyah Mohai
FW9Kumba Z. Brima
FW17Marian JumuYellow card 76'downward-facing red arrow 90'
Substitutions:
FW19Adama Mansarayupward-facing green arrow 90'
GK1Cecilia Bangura
GK16Kumba Conteh
MF10Sarah Bangura
DF11Rashidatu A. Kamara
DF13Fatmata F. Kanu
DF15Juliana F. Mansaray
FW20Marie B. Conteh
Manager:
Hassan Mansaray
GK21Adji Ndiaye
DF18Meta Camara (C)
DF5Wolimata NdiayeYellow card 33'
DF8Marie Diokh
DF3Anta DembéléYellow card 22'
MF19Binta Korkel Seck
MF14Sadigatou Diallodownward-facing red arrow 89'
MF15Fatoumata Dramé
FW7Pascaline Bassenedownward-facing red arrow 77'
FW17Hapsatou Malado DialloYellow card 76'
FW9Ndèye Awa Cassetdownward-facing red arrow 89'
Substitutions:
DF6Maty Cissokhoupward-facing green arrow 77'
MF10Sokhna Nogaye Pèneupward-facing green arrow 89'
MF20Marie Ndiayeupward-facing green arrow 89'
GK1Khady Faye
GK16Tenning Séne
MF12Safietou Sagna
MF13Mariama Faty
Manager:
Mame Moussa Cissé

Player of the Match:
Salamatu Kamara (Sierra Leone)

Assistant referees:

Cadidjatu Mancal (Guinea-Bissau)
Fourth official:
Love Whyee (Liberia)

Goalscorers

There were 49 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 3.06 goals per match.

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Final ranking and awards

See also

References

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