Four Women, Four Titles: Only Female Coaches To Win WAFCON

Four Women, Four Titles: Only Female Coaches To Win WAFCON

By Niyi Busari 

Only four women in history have lifted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) trophy as head coaches and each of them previously represented their countries as players before stepping into the dugout, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Their achievements underline the growing influence of former internationals in shaping the technical and tactical evolution of women’s football on the continent.

Clementine Toure – Equatorial Guinea (2008)

Ivorian coach Clémentine Touré became the first woman to win WAFCON as a head coach when she guided Equatorial Guinea to the 2008 African Women’s Championship title.

Touré had moved to Equatorial Guinea in 2006 to manage club side Águilas Verdes de Guadalupe before being appointed head coach of the national team in 2008. Under her leadership, the team clinched the continental crown that year and finished runners-up in 2010, losing to Nigeria in the final.

She later took charge of the Ivory Coast women’s national team in 2010, leading them to qualification for the 2012 and 2014 African Women’s Championships and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Touré was one of eight female head coaches at the 2015 tournament in Canada.

Uche Eucharia – Nigeria (2010)

Former Nigeria international Uche Eucharia became the first Nigerian woman to win WAFCON as head coach when she led the Super Falcons to victory in 2010.

A trailblazer in Nigerian football, Eucharia served as both the first female assistant coach and the first female head coach of the national women’s team. Beyond her national team success, she has contributed to the development of the game as an instructor for FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). She hails from Owerri, Nigeria.

Florence Omagbemi – Nigeria (2016)

Florence Omagbemi etched her name into history in 2016 by becoming the first woman to win WAFCON both as a player-captain and as head coach of Nigeria.

A former midfielder, Omagbemi represented the Super Falcons at four FIFA Women’s World Cups, multiple WAFCON tournaments and the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. She was appointed interim head coach of Nigeria in 2016, having previously worked with the national under-20 side, and led the team to continental glory that same year.

Desiree Ellis – South Africa (2022)

South Africa’s Desiree Ellis joined the elite list in 2022 when she guided Banyana Banyana to their first-ever WAFCON title.

Appointed head coach of the South African women’s national team in 2016, Ellis had earlier steered the side to a runners-up finish at the 2018 WAFCON, securing qualification for their maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance in 2019. The 2022 triumph also sealed a second successive World Cup berth.

At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, South Africa reached the knockout stage for the first time, advancing to the Round of 16 before exiting the tournament.

In recognition of her achievements, Ellis has been named CAF Women’s Coach of the Year multiple times between 2018 and 2023. In April 2023, she was awarded South Africa’s National Order of Ikhamanga for her contribution to football.

A Legacy of Player-Turned-Coaches

From Touré’s breakthrough in 2008 to Ellis’s historic triumph in 2022, the four coaches share a common thread: each transitioned from international playing careers to the technical bench, translating on-field experience into managerial success.

Their accomplishments reflect not only personal milestones but also the expanding leadership pathways for women in African football.