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Tanzania claimed one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), defeating South Africa 2-1 in their Group B opener on Monday in Casablanca, Morocco.
Diana Msewa and Hasnath Umbamba scored stunning individual goals to hand the Twiga Stars a famous victory over the reigning African champions, who sit 65 places above Tanzania in the FIFA world rankings.
Msewa opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a brilliant solo effort after driving from the centre circle into the South African penalty area before beating goalkeeper Andile Dlamini at the near post.
South Africa responded just before halftime when Bambanani Mbane headed home from close range in stoppage time after Tanzania goalkeeper Najiat Idrisa parried a corner.
The match appeared destined for a draw until Umbamba struck three minutes from time, collecting a throw-in, outrunning her marker and firing past Dlamini from a tight angle to seal Tanzania’s historic win.
Msewa’s opener, widely regarded as the standout goal of the tournament so far, earned her the Player of the Match award.
South Africa struggled to justify their status as one of Africa’s top-ranked teams, with defensive lapses and misplaced passes allowing Tanzania to dominate physically and exploit gaps throughout the contest.
The victory gives Tanzania an early lead in Group B, which also includes Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, and marks the first major upset of the 16-team tournament after Morocco and Algeria secured expected wins in Group A on Sunday.
