The past two months have proven that African women's football has moved beyond the era of Nigeria's near-monopoly, and the continent's stars in the NWSL and UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) have played a major role in adding to competition across Africa.
Cameroon beat Malawi in the WAFCON final in Rabat to secure an unlikely first-ever triumph, with new Washington Spirit midfielder Monique Ngock named Player of the Tournament.
For Malawi to get to the final at all in their first tournament appearance was a remarkable feat and the star sisters - Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and Lyon's Tabitha Chawinga - deserve credit for the leading roles they played - hence they, together with Ngock, make up the top three in our Power Rankings.
The Power Rankings were postponed in July, with the WAFCON still ongoing, so the current top 10 factors in performances for both club and country over the last two months.
1. Monique Ngock, Washington Spirit
Signed by the Spirit in July from French side Fleury 91, Ngock was the centrepiece of the Cameroon side which won their first ever WAFCON title.
The box-to-box midfielder was consistently among the most prolific tacklers and passers in the final third throughout the Indomitable Lionesses' triumph.
Her most impressive performance was in the 2-1 group stage win over Mali, which saw her pick up an assist, but she was influential in pulling the strings all the way through to the final - a 3-0 win over Malawi.
2. Temwa Chawinga, Kansas City Current
Malawi's run to the final of the WAFCON was a story of greater defiance of probabilities than even Cameroon's victory. Temwa Chawinga, the two-time NWSL Golden Boot winner, added the WAFCON Golden Boot to her trophy room.
The Scorchers' younger Chawinga sister was one of three players to score five goals at the tournament, with the others being Zambia's Barbra Banda and Cameroon's Marie Ngah Manga.
However, Chawinga was the only one among the three to pick up two assists, and thus snatched the Golden Boot via the tiebreaker.
3. Tabitha Chawinga, OL Lyonnes
The elder Chawinga sister scored four times for Malawi during the WAFCON and repeatedly found the net in moments when she was most needed.
If either of her two group stage goals had not been scored, then Malawi would have failed to make it to the quarter-finals. Had her goal in the 3-2 win over Nigeria been taken out of the equation, Malawi would have dropped two points, while her goal in the 2-1 defeat to Zambia was instrumental in ensuring the Scorchers progressed at the Copper Queens' expense in the final Group C standings.
The Lyon star also scored twice in the 3-1 semi-final win over Algeria on the most memorable night in Scorchers history, booking Malawi's place in the final in Rabat.
4. Barbra Banda, Orlando Pride
Had Zambia not been eliminated from the tournament in the group stage in some of the most unfortunate circumstances imaginable, it is highly likely that Banda would have topped this list and won the WAFCON Golden Boot.
Banda scored four goals and assisted one in Zambia's 6-0 win over Egypt and went on to score in the 2-1 win over Malawi. However, Zambia were eliminated after finishing level with Malawi and Nigeria in Group C on six points.
Zambia had the best overall goal difference out of the three teams due to their huge win over Egypt, but they were dumped out by virtue of only scoring two goals in games against Malawi and Nigeria (two in the win over the Scorchers and none in a 1-0 loss to the Super Falcons).
Malawi's 3-2 win over Nigeria ensured that even though all three teams had a goal difference of 0 in the three-team mini tournament between the tied teams, both the Scorchers and Super Falcons had a better goalscoring record than the Copper Queens when results against Egypt fell out of the picture.
Despite the heartbreak with Zambia, Banda continues to deliver at club level for Orlando Pride, ensuring she maintains a strong chance of climbing the Power Rankings.
She assisted Haley McCutcheon's winner in the 1-0 triumph over Washington Spirit and then scored in the 2-1 loss to Utah Royals.
5. Marie Ngah Manga, Galatasaray
Ngah's brace against Malawi in Cameroon's 3-0 final win put the cherry on top of the cake at the end of a superb tournament for her in front of goal.
Earlier in the WAFCON, she had scored both of Cameroon's goals in the 2-1 group stage win over Mali and netted the only goal in the 1-0 win over Ghana which ultimately determined who finished top of Group D.
6. Thembi Kgatlana, Tigres UANL
Banyana Banyana were deeply unconvincing in their WAFCON campaign as they crashed out in the quarter-finals. However, they still have a chance of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup after their qualification play-in win over Nigeria.
Had it not been for Kgatlana's contribution during the tournament and the win over the Super Falcons - in which she scored - it is highly unlikely that Desiree Ellis' side would still have a chance of making it to Brazil next year.
Banyana had suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in their WAFCON opener. Kgatlana ignited a fightback with a goal in the subsequent 2-2 draw with Ivory Coast and then scored the goal in a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso that earned South Africa second place in Group B.
Kgatlana scored again in the 2-1 quarter-final loss to Morocco before netting in the play-in win over Nigeria.
She has already carried her international form over back to club level, scoring for Tigres in recent Liga MX Femenil wins over Cruz Azul and Pachuca.
7. Michaely Bihina, Benfica
Cameroon's defence remained steadfast throughout most of the WAFCON, but when Bihina found herself under the cosh in the quarter-final against Nigeria, she delivered with nine saves to keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win.
Against Morocco in the semi-finals, her penalty heroics proved decisive as she saved four spot-kicks - one in extra time from Fatima Tagnaout to keep the scores deadlocked at 0-0 and send the match to a shootout, and then three out of four from there.
As per Flashscore, Cameroon had an xG tally of only 0.19 in that match, and to advance to the final regardless was a remarkable feat which she played no small part in.
The world has already seen 25-year-old Chiamaka Nnadozie's star rise although the Brighton goalkeeper had a less than ideal tournament with Nigeria. Now, Bihina (22) looks set to become another African star shining between the sticks in European club football. Benfica will be in Europa League action against AC Milan on September 16.
8. Hanane Aït El Haj, Alavés
El Haj was a standout player for Morocco at the WAFCON on home soil not only due to her role in clean sheets against Kenya, Algeria, Senegal and Cameroon, but also due to her tremendous contribution bombing forward.
Right-back El Haj picked up a goal and five assists during the tournament.
El Haj made her debut for Alavés in a 2-0 win over Valencia on August 30, having sealed a move from AS FAR before the WAFCON began.
9. Myriam Maéva Nyadjou Wamen, Amazone FAP
Cameroon kept clean sheets in all three of their WAFCON knockout games and 19-year-old Nyadjou played a major part in that.
The centre-back scored the winner in the 1-0 quarter-final win over Nigeria, defended tremendously in the 0-0 semi-final draw with Morocco - which Cameroon won on penalties - and then picked up a clean sheet and assist in the 3-0 final win over Malawi.
10. Inès Belloumou, West Ham
Belloumou played a vital role for Algeria in their third-place finish in Morocco - including a solid performance in the bronze medal match against the hosts, which the Fennecs won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
West Ham will kick off their 2026-27 Women's Super League (WSL) campaign with a London derby against Tottenham on September 6.
