WAFCON (Q): Tanzania triumph over Ethiopia to confirm qualification

The Tanzania women’s national team has qualified for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) at the expense of Ethiopia after a 3-0 aggregate victory. The Twiga Stars beat Lucy 1-0 on Tuesday in the second leg of their Second Round clash played at the Dire Dawa Stadium.

The Ethiopian Football Federation opened the stadium gates for free as they sought more crowd support to overturn the 0-2 first-leg defeat in Dar es Salaam a week ago. The home side started the tie with quick play but struggled to create chances against a solid Tanzanian side.

Nonetheless, the visitors took an early lead through Diana Lucas, who scored with a tap-in after dreadful defending by Ethiopia inside the box. Mesay Temesgen came closest for the hosts to restoring parity, but her shot went inches wide.

The second half saw Ethiopia dominate possession, while Tanzania opted for a more cautious approach. Long balls into the area were the main Ethiopian attacking plan, but they failed to work. Head coach Yoseph Gebrewolde introduced striker Senaf Wakuma to partner Loza Abera, but the change did not yield any fruit.

Tanzania will be making their third-ever WAFCON appearance, having previously qualified for the 2010 and 2024 editions. Ethiopia’s 14-year wait to qualify for WAFCON will continue for another two years.