Cameroon face Mali in Casablanca as Women’s Afcon 2026 campaign kicks off – how to watch and UK times

Cameroon and Mali begin their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 campaigns on Wednesday, facing each other in Casablanca in their opening group match.

The tie will be played at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Morocco, with kick-off scheduled for 22:00 in France. That corresponds to 21:00 in Cameroon and 20:00 in Mali.

The match is not expected to be broadcast in France. Coverage in both Cameroon and Mali will be provided by Canal+.

Cameroon return after four-year wait

This fixture marks Cameroon’s return to the Women’s Afcon after a four-year absence. The Indomitable Lionesses last featured in the 2022 edition, where their run ended in the quarter-finals.

Cameroon have not been knocked out in the group phase of the competition since 2000 and will aim, at the very least, to match the performance achieved four years ago by again reaching the knockout rounds.

The build-up to the tournament has included encouraging signs. Earlier this year, Cameroon recorded a notable 1-0 victory over defending champions Nigeria at the end of February. However, they were beaten 3-1 by the same opponents in the return game at the start of March.

Mali seek momentum and back-to-back knockouts

Mali go into the match targeting a second successive qualification for the knockout stage. Reaching the last 16 again would underline progress for a side looking to establish itself as a regular presence beyond the group phase.

History against Cameroon, however, has not been kind. The Malians’ most recent meetings with the Indomitable Lionesses came in November 2018, when they suffered two defeats by scorelines of 2-1 and 4-2.

Form in 2026 has also been mixed. Mali drew with both Morocco and Burkina Faso in matches played in April and June, before losing to Cote d’Ivoire a few days ago. They are still searching for their first win of the year as they arrive at the tournament.

Broadcasting details

While fans in France are unlikely to have access to live television coverage of the match, viewers in both competing countries will be able to follow the action on Canal+. Kick-off times have been aligned with local prime-time viewing in West and Central Africa.

The Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, a regular venue for continental club and international fixtures, will host the encounter as the two nations look to make a strong start to their Women’s Afcon 2026 campaigns.