In 30 days, Africa’s premier women’s football competition, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026, will kick off in Rabat, Morocco.
The opening day of the competition is scheduled for 26 July at Moulay El Hassan Stadium, where hosts Morocco will face East African side Kenya.
Now in its 14th edition, Africa’s premier women’s football tournament continues to reflect the significant progress made in the women’s game across the continent, underpinned by CAF’s strategic commitment to increased investment in women’s football.
CAF has made significant progress in growing and developing women’s football. Over the last five years, the prize money for the winners of the Competition has increased from USD 150,000 to USD 1 million under CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe.
Morocco 2026 will mark a significant milestone in the history of the Competition, with the final tournament expanding from 12 to 16 participating nations for the first time.
“The expansion forms part of CAF’s broader women’s football strategy to strengthen the women’s game through increased participation opportunities, enhanced competition structures and greater investment in football development across the continent,” said CAF.
The 16 nations that have qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 are: Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria (defending champions), Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
The Competition will be staged across the cities of Rabat and Casablanca, with five CAF-approved venues selected to host matches and official training activities. The venues are Stade Moulay El Hassan, Stade Al Madina and Stade Olympique in Rabat, as well as Stade Larbi Zaouli and Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca.
Defending champions Nigeria enter the tournament seeking to retain the title after winning a record-extending tenth continental crown at the previous edition.
However, the Super Falcons are expected to face strong competition from across the continent, including hosts Morocco, former champions South Africa, traditional powerhouses such as Cameroon and emerging contenders including Algeria, Zambia, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Adding further significance, this year’s finals will serve as Africa’s qualification tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.
The four quarter-final winners will secure automatic qualification to the global showpiece, while the four teams eliminated at that stage will remain in contention through the FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off pathway.
Courtesy of Cafonline.com.
