CAF postpones WAFCON 2026

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, moving the tournament from its earlier March schedule to a new window between July and August.

CAF confirmed the development in a statement published on Thursday, bringing clarity after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the competition.

The tournament, which Morocco won the rights to host in October 2024, will now take place from July 25 to August 16, 2026. The competition had initially been scheduled for March 17 to April 3.

According to CAF, the adjustment followed consultations with FIFA and other key stakeholders involved in organising the event.

“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, in the light of certain unforeseen circumstances,” the organisation said.

CAF added that preparations for the tournament are ongoing and expressed confidence that the event would meet expectations.

“Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful,” the statement added.

The postponement comes amid concerns about the readiness of several pre-competition arrangements.

Key details, including venues for the knockout stages, accreditation for journalists, match officials and technical workshops, had yet to be confirmed before the initial kickoff date.

Promotional activities for the tournament were also largely absent.

For defending champions Nigeria women’s national football team, popularly known as the Super Falcons, the new schedule provides additional time to prepare for their title defence.

The Super Falcons recently concluded a two-match friendly series against the Cameroon women’s national football team in Yaoundé, losing the first leg 1–0 before responding with a 3–1 victory in the return fixture.

The tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Under the qualification format, the four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the global tournament, while another African team will have a chance to secure a place through an intercontinental play-off.