CAF doubles Women’s AFCON prize money in landmark boost for African women’s football

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the biggest financial overhaul in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, doubling the winners’ prize to $2m and sharply increasing rewards across the tournament in a bid to elevate the women’s game across the continent.

The announcement came as CAF president Patrice Motsepe held a press conference following meetings of the organisation’s executive committees, which also covered preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and future hosting rights.

Record jump in women’s tournament prize fund

In what CAF described as an unprecedented rise, the prize for the Women’s AFCON champions has been increased by 100%, from $1m in the previous edition to $2m.

The total prize pot for the tournament has been raised by 67%, jumping from $3.475m to $5.8m. The runners-up will now receive $750,000 – a 50% increase – while the reward for the team finishing third has been boosted by 43%.

CAF will also pay every one of the 16 participating teams $150,000 simply for taking part, up 20% from the $125,000 appearance fee at the last tournament.

The governing body underlined that these latest changes represent the culmination of a wider financial transformation of the women’s competition since the current administration took charge. The champions’ prize has risen by 900% over that period, from $200,000 to $2m, while the overall prize pool has climbed by 495%, from $975,000 to $5.8m.

Over the same timeframe, the number of teams involved in the Women’s AFCON has doubled from eight to 16, reflecting CAF’s push to broaden participation and competitiveness.

Preparations intensify for AFCON 2027 ‘Pamoja’ tournament

Turning to the men’s flagship competition, CAF confirmed that preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations – to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – are “progressing well”.

The tournament will be staged under the slogan “Pamoja” (meaning “together”), and CAF praised what it called full cooperation from the three governments to ensure readiness on all fronts, including:

– Stadium upgrades and construction – Training facilities – Accommodation – Transport infrastructure – Security arrangements – Medical services – Technology and broadcast facilities

CAF said these elements were essential to meeting the organisational standards expected of the continent’s premier international football competition.

Bidding race heats up for AFCON 2028, 2032 and 2036

CAF confirmed that the bidding process remains open for countries seeking to host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2028, 2032 and 2036.

The organisation said there had been “strong interest” in the three editions, with “many countries” already submitting what were described as robust files to stage the tournaments. Decisions on the host nations will be announced “at the appropriate time”, CAF added, without giving a fixed timeline.

In parallel, CAF has launched a tender for commercial rights linked to the 2028, 2032 and 2036 AFCONs. It said it had already received “numerous offers” from leading global marketing and commercial rights companies.

According to CAF, the aim is to maximise financial returns and enhance the tournament’s commercial value, with the additional income being channelled into the development of football across its 54 member associations and to support its various competitions.

CAF General Assembly set for Abuja

CAF concluded its decisions by confirming that its 48th Ordinary General Assembly will take place on 21 November 2026 in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

The body expressed its gratitude to the Nigerian government and the Nigeria Football Federation for their cooperation in hosting the event, and voiced confidence that the assembly would serve as an important milestone in advancing the development of African football.