CAF Postpones 2026 Women’s Africa Cup Of Nations (WAFCON) Until July

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed the postponement of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) just days before it was due to start, moving the tournament to 25 July–16 August 2026 in Morocco. The competition had originally been scheduled for 17 March–3 April, but CAF said the change was necessary because of “unforeseen circumstances.”

According to CAF’s official statement, the 14th edition of the continental championship will still be staged in Morocco, which has hosted the previous two editions. CAF said the rescheduling decision was taken to ensure the tournament’s successful organisation.

The 2026 edition will feature 16 teams, an expansion from the 12-team format used previously. The tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Four African nations will qualify automatically, while two additional teams will progress to intercontinental play-offs.

Morocco will host the competition for a third consecutive time and will aim to secure its first WAFCON title after finishing runner-up in the last two tournaments. The defending champions remain the Nigeria women’s national football team, who lifted their 10th continental title in 2024, extending their record as the most successful team in the competition.

The postponement was announced 12 days before the planned opening match, according to BBC Sport Africa. The group-stage draw had already been conducted on 15 January, but a full match schedule had not yet been released before the delay was confirmed.

Speculation about Morocco’s hosting role had increased in recent weeks. Concerns followed incidents during the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when the Senegal national football team defeated the Morocco national football team 1–0 at the Stade Moulay Abdellah, Rabat. South African officials later clarified remarks suggesting the country could potentially step in as host.

Several players have publicly expressed concern over the disruption. Rasheedat Ajibade of the Super Falcons criticised the decision on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “African women’s football deserves better.”

The delay has affected the 16 qualified teams, many of whom had already intensified preparations ahead of the March start date. During the recent international window, several national teams organised friendly matches to finalise their squads. Among them, Nigeria played the Cameroon women’s national football team — known as the Indomitable Lionesses — in two preparatory matches. Other contenders such as the Ghana women’s national football team also conducted training camps and international tours.

Former Nigeria captain Desire Oparanozie also expressed disappointment about the disruption, telling BBC Sport Africa the repeated delays affecting the women’s tournament were “worrying.”

The rescheduling continues a series of disruptions to African football tournaments. The 2020 WAFCON edition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the 2024 tournament was delayed due to scheduling conflicts including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Despite speculation about a possible venue change, CAF’s latest communication confirms Morocco will remain the host nation. With the tournament now set for late July to mid-August 2026, teams will adjust their preparation schedules as the competition continues to serve as a key route to qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Sunday Oladokun for Women’s Sport World