Women’s Africa Cup of Naitons (WAFCON 2026) postponed to July, Morocco retained as hosts

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has officially been postponed just 12 DAYS before the tournament was scheduled to be hosted by Morocco, AfricaSoccer.com can exclusively reveal.

Originally scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, the tournament, which doubles as the qualifying phase for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, will now be held from July 25 to August 16, 2026.

This comes one month after Africa’s leading football news outfit AfricaSoccer.com revealed that the hosting of the competition was in a balance as hosts Morocco were considering pulling out of hosting the competition for unclear reasons.

Now CAF, Africa’s football governing body, has announced that the competition has been postponed to July following consultations with Morocco.

“In October 2024, the Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) granted the hosting rights for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (“WAFCON”) 2026 to Morocco and this tournament was scheduled for 17 March to 3 April 2026,” CAF said in a statement on Thursday, 12 days before the competition was scheduled to start.

“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAFdecided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026, to 25 July – 16 August 2026; to ensure the success of this important women’s competition, in the light of certain unforseen circumstances.”

“Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful.”

The new dates position the competition shortly after the conclusion of the 2026 Men’s World Cup.

The uncertainty over whether Morocco would be retained hosting rights has also been settled despite South Africa expressing strong interest in stepping in when doubts emerged over the North African country’s willingness to stage the competition.

South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, emphasized the country’s readiness to host after his deputy Peace Mabe publicly announced that the country had been named as the replacement hosts.

“The situation regarding the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is very concerning,” McKenze said.

“If Morocco is ready to host the WAFCON because they had a brilliant AFCON, they should do so. If they are not ready, we want to tell them, we (South Africa) have stadiums, we are not a country with less infrastructure. We will never be held hostage by countries that have less than what we have.

“We don’t wait for no one. We will not allow women’s football to be treated in such fashion…If Morocco is not going to host it, South Africa is standing ready [to host].”

The postponement leaves the preparation of the participating countries in chaos for the tournament this is a key qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Group Stage Draw

The final draw took place on January 15 in Rabat, with teams divided as follows:

• Group A (Rabat): Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
• Group B (Rabat): South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
• Group C (Casablanca): Nigeria (holders), Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
• Group D (Fes): Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde

Prior to Morocco’s confirmation, the tournament draw had already been completed. Defending champions Nigeria were placed in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi, while South Africa were drawn in Group B with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania. Morocco had been set to contest a North African derby against Algeria in Group A.

CAF had also confirmed increased investment in the women’s game ahead of the tournament, with president Patrice Motsepe pledging to improve prize money and player remuneration.

Nigeria received $1m for winning the last edition, a figure expected to rise as CAF continues to push for commercial growth in women’s football.

This edition will also serve as the primary qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the top four teams securing direct berths.

Debutants Malawi and Cape Verde will join the fray, reflecting the growing reach and competitiveness of women’s football across Africa.

With an expanded lineup and high stakes for World Cup qualification, the 2026 WAFCON promises to be a landmark tournament for African women’s football.