Women’s AFCON 2026: Tournament under way in Morocco as 16-team era begins

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has kicked off in Morocco, with the expanded 16-team tournament offering four direct places at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Originally scheduled for March, the finals were postponed to July by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and are being staged in Morocco for the third consecutive edition. The competition began on 26 July and, for the first time, features 16 national teams split into four groups of four.

CAF has published the full match schedule for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with group fixtures followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place play-off and the final. As of 28 July 2026, the tournament is in its early stages, with the group phase continuing and further results to come.

World Cup qualification on the line

Beyond the continental title, qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup is the major prize at stake. The four semi-finalists in Morocco will all secure automatic berths at the global finals, which will be held in Brazil.

Teams knocked out in the last eight will still have a route to the World Cup. The four quarter-final losers will be paired into two play-off ties: the loser of quarter-final 1 faces the loser of quarter-final 4, while the loser of quarter-final 2 plays the loser of quarter-final 3.

The winners of these two fixtures will progress to the intercontinental play-offs, where they will compete for additional World Cup spots against teams from other confederations. This structure gives up to six African sides a chance to reach the 2027 tournament.

Tiebreak rules in the group stage

With four groups of four teams, each side plays three matches in the opening phase. If teams finish level on points in the standings, CAF applies a series of tiebreak criteria, in a set order, to separate them. These regulations cover head-to-head records, goal difference and other standard indicators used in international tournaments, ensuring a clear ranking to decide which nations progress to the knockout rounds.

Nigeria’s dominance and limited list of champions

Since the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations was first held in 1991, only three countries have lifted the trophy across 14 editions of the competition.

Nigeria remain the dominant force in the tournament’s history. The Super Falcons have been crowned champions 10 times, or 12 if the first two editions are included – those early tournaments are not counted by some observers, but are recognised by others when assessing Nigeria’s record.

Equatorial Guinea are the only other multiple winners, having claimed the title twice. South Africa became the most recent nation to join the roll of honour when they secured their first continental crown in 2022.

With that history of Nigerian success and a small group of previous champions, the 2026 edition in Morocco offers an opportunity both for established powers to reinforce their status and for emerging teams to challenge the hierarchy.

A growing stage for African women’s football

The decision to maintain Morocco as host for a third straight tournament reflects the country’s recent investment in football infrastructure and its role in promoting the women’s game on the continent. The expansion to 16 teams underlines CAF’s ambition to broaden participation and provide more nations with experience at major finals.

The full group standings and complete set of results will evolve over the coming days as the tournament progresses beyond the early matches played by 28 July 2026. Each result will shape not only the race for the continental title but also Africa’s representation at the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Romain Lantheaume, who has followed African football closely since discovering it through Didier Drogba and joining Afrik-Foot in 2013, continues to chart the latest developments from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as the 2026 edition unfolds in Morocco.