South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie takes aim at Morocco amid growing WAFCON 2026 crisis

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is less than two weeks away, and South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has made it clear he is done waiting for answers.

The tournament is set to begin on March 17 in Morocco, yet there has been no official confirmation from either Morocco or the Confederation of African Football about whether it will proceed as planned. The uncertainty has rattled players, coaches, and administrators across the continent, with 16 qualified nations left in limbo as the clock ticks down.

The roots of the crisis run deeper than simple disorganisation. Reports in local media indicated that the Moroccan FA informed CAF of Morocco’s inability to host as far back as early February, citing two key factors, the conclusion of the Botola Pro league, which had already been pushed back due to a series of tournaments, and a packed schedule of men’s international friendlies set to take place in Morocco during the same window in March.

Questions are being asked about why these conflicts are only becoming apparent now, given that Morocco knew about the hosting responsibilities for years. Speculation has also grown that Morocco’s reluctance may be politically motivated, tied to the fallout from the stormy AFCON 2025 final, which Senegal won 1-0, and the subsequent disciplinary sanctions handed to both the Moroccan federation and its players.

The chaos was compounded in early February when South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Sport, Peace Mabe, announced at an awards ceremony that South Africa had replaced Morocco as hosts a claim McKenzie was forced to walk back, stressing no formal decision had been made.

CAF has so far remained publicly silent, leaving Africa’s premier women’s tournament in an information vacuum filled by speculation. Now, McKenzie has returned with a far more forceful message.

“If Morocco is ready to host the Women’s AFCON after a successful AFCON, then let them. If they aren’t, we want to tell them that we have stadiums and that we are not a country with less infrastructure. We will never be held hostage by countries less well-equipped than us.”

He also took direct aim at the politics swirling around the situation, questioning whether Senegal’s Men’s AFCON triumph had created the mess the continent now finds itself in. “Does everyone have to suffer because Senegal won the Men’s AFCON? If Senegal hadn’t won the final, would we still be in this uncertainty?”

“We aren’t waiting for anyone. If Morocco doesn’t want to host the competition, South Africa is ready.”

WAFCON 2026 has been expanded to 16 teams and doubles as the African qualifiers for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, meaning any disruption does not just affect this tournament; it threatens the World Cup dreams of nations across the entire continent.