The 2002 African Women's Championship qualification process was organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to decide the participating teams of the 2002 African Women's Championship. Nigeria qualified automatically as both hosts and defending champions, while the remaining seven spots were determined by the qualifying rounds, which took place from August to October 2002.
Teams
A record 21 national teams participated in the qualifying process.
Teams who withdrew are in italics.
Format
Qualification ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would be applied, and if still level, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (no extra time would be played).
The seven winners of the final round qualified for the final tournament.
Schedule
The schedule of the qualifying rounds was as follows.
First round
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1 Botswana, Guinea-Bissau and Swaziland withdrew.
Zambia won by default and advanced to the second round.
Ethiopia won by default and advanced to the second round.
Tanzania won 5–4 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Angola won 6–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Gabon won 8–0 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Senegal won by default and advanced to the second round.
4–4 on aggregate. Mali won on the away goals rule and advanced to the second round.
Second round
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South Africa won 8–1 on aggregate and qualified for the final tournament.
Ethiopia won 4–2 on aggregate and qualified for the final tournament.
Zimbabwe won 10–0 on aggregate and qualified for the final tournament.
1–1 on aggregate. Angola won the penalty shoot-out 5–4 and qualified for the final tournament.
Cameroon won 4–0 on aggregate and qualified for the final tournament.
Ghana won 6–1 on aggregate and qualified for the final tournament.
0–0 on aggregate. Mali won the penalty shoot-out 5–4 and qualified for the final tournament.
Goalscorers
Angolan Jacinta Ramos, Gabonese Géraldine Okawe, South African Joanne Solomon and Zimbabwean Nomsa Moyo were the top scorers in the qualifying process. In total, 70 goals were scored by 44 different players. 4 goals
Jacinta Ramos
Géraldine Okawe
Joanne Solomon
Nomsa Moyo
3 goals
Rachel Bancouly
Esther Zulu
2 goals
Nadine Mvunbio
Awasso Endegene-Leme
Ornella Etoua
Basilea Amoah-Tetteh
Joyce Ohenewaa
Maïchata Konaté
Diaty N'Diaye
Veronica Phewa
Ester Chambruma
Precious Mpala
1 goal
Sonia de Souza
Antoinette Anounga
Rolande Belemgoto
Cecile Mekongo
Etebe Mvie Manga
Louyeye Binga
Genoveva Añonman
Semhar Bereket-ab
Teamu Debessay
Makda Mebrahtu
Merhawit Tekeste
Feleke Adois
Tesfaye Teramah
Winie Mapangou
Gladys Nisame
Memuna Darku
Sheila Okah
Adélaïde Koudougnon
Absah Gueye
Nandipha Mlomo
Mapule Nteso
Mwaka Kavena
Ally Mosi
Sweet Paul
Oliver Mbekeka
Annet Nankimbugwe
Christabel Muchindu
Pretty Phiri
Qualified teams
The following teams qualified for the final tournament.
1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.