The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), shifting the tournament to July–August 2026 instead of its initially planned March schedule.
In a statement released on Thursday, CAF confirmed that the competition—hosted by Morocco—will now take place from July 25 to August 16, 2026. The tournament had earlier been scheduled to run between March 17 and April 3.
According to CAF, the decision followed consultations with the FIFA and other key stakeholders involved in organising Africa’s flagship women’s football competition.
“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 to 25 July – 16 August 2026 to ensure the success of this important women’s competition,” the governing body said.
Preparations still ongoing
The announcement comes after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the tournament’s readiness, with several pre-event arrangements yet to be finalised before the original kickoff date.
Industry observers had raised concerns about unresolved logistics, including confirmation of venues for knockout matches, media accreditation, match officials, and technical workshops. Promotional activities around the competition had also been relatively limited.
CAF, however, expressed confidence that preparations were progressing steadily and that the tournament would meet expectations.
“Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 are underway and all parties are confident that it will be very successful,” the organisation added.
Boost for defending champions Nigeria
The new timeline could provide additional preparation time for defending champions Nigeria women’s national football team, popularly known as the Super Falcons.
The team recently completed a two-match international friendly series against Cameroon women’s national football team in Yaoundé, losing the first game 1–0 before responding with a 3–1 victory in the return leg.
Road to the 2027 Women’s World Cup
The 2026 WAFCON will also serve as Africa’s qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Brazil.
Under the qualification format, the four semi-finalists will secure automatic spots at the global tournament, while another African team will have the chance to qualify through an intercontinental play-off.
With the new dates now confirmed, attention will shift to finalising venues, logistics and participating teams ahead of what CAF hopes will be one of the most competitive editions of the tournament yet. ⚽
