President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe has reiterated Morocco’s commitment in hosting the impending 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) tournament, bringing an end to speculation surrounding the tournament’s venue.
Reports went rife that the North African nation has withdrawn from hosting the CAF’s elite women competition, with South Africa reportedly stepping in as the new host for the tournament, scheduled for March 2026.
However, Motsepe at a press conference has reassured stakeholders that Morocco remains committed to staging the competition as originally agreed.
Despite a hosts of nations expressing interest in hosting the tournament, the continental football governing body has highlighted Morocco’s commitment, with time constraints making it difficult to reconsider the decision.
“There are discussions and a lot of competition. Morocco came forward to help us. There were many countries that wanted to host this event and, since we didn’t have enough time, our margin was really limited. As of now, there is still a commitment with Morocco because the other interested countries wanted to change the dates. And we don’t want to change them because there are also the qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup.” He said.
For the first time, 16 teams will feature at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament, with Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Mali earning an invitation to partake in the tournament, having failed to secure automatic qualification.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria are the record holders of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, winning the title ten times. They won the previous edition and will be hoping to defend the title in the North African country.
Below are the WAFCON Group pairings:
Group A: Morocco – Algeria – Senegal – Kenya.
Group B: South Africa – Ivory Coast – Burkina Faso – Tanzania.
Group C: Nigeria – Zambia – Egypt – Malawi.
Group D: Ghana – Cameroon – Mali – Cape Verde.
