Sixteen teams will compete in the delayed Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026. They will be playing for a spot in the 2027 Women's World Cup and for continental bragging rights.
The tournament starts on Sunday in Morocco. This is four months later than planned. Nigeria aims to defend its title from last year. Ghana, Zambia, and Morocco are also top contenders.
Many world-class players will be featured. These include Zambia's Racheal Kundananji and Barbra Banda. Nigeria's Rasheedat Ajibade and Malawi's Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, will also play.
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Start Your News DetoxWAFCON 2026 Schedule and Location
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women's Africa Cup of Nations 2026 begins on Sunday. Algeria will play Senegal in the first match. Hosts Morocco will face Kenya on the same day.
The final match is set for August 16 in Rabat. This will conclude the 22-day tournament.
- Group stage: July 26 to August 6
- Quarterfinals: August 8 and 9
- Semifinals: August 12
- Playoffs: August 13
- Final: August 16
Matches will kick off at 5:00 PM GMT and 8:00 PM GMT. The final will start at 7:00 PM GMT.
WAFCON usually happens every two years. However, the 2024 edition was moved to July 2025 due to logistical issues. This means a shorter time between tournaments.
The tournament was originally scheduled for March 17 to April 3. CAF announced a postponement just 12 days before it was supposed to start. They cited "unforeseen circumstances." News agencies reported that Morocco, the host nation, requested the date change.
Morocco will host WAFCON again, as they did in 2022 and 2024. Matches will take place in five stadiums across Rabat and Casablanca.
- Moulay El Hassan Stadium (capacity: 22,000) – Rabat
- Olympic Stadium (capacity: 21,000) – Rabat
- Al Medina Stadium (capacity: 18,000) – Rabat
- Larbi Zaouli Stadium (capacity: 20,000) – Casablanca
- Moulay Rachid Stadium (capacity: 25,000) – Casablanca
Games were initially planned for Fez but were moved to Casablanca. The final venue is still undecided. It could be Moulay Hassan Stadium or the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The latter hosted this year's men's AFCON final.
Teams and Tournament Format
This WAFCON will feature 16 teams, an increase from 12 in previous editions. CAF announced this expansion in November, after the qualifying rounds ended. The top four teams eliminated in the final qualifying round were chosen based on FIFA world rankings to complete the roster.
Here are the groups:
- Group A: Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
- Group B: South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
- Group C: Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
- Group D: Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde
Nine of these 16 teams also played in the 2024 edition. Cape Verde and Malawi are making their first appearance. Cape Verde's men's team recently reached the last 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Watch out for Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga, who will be in action at the WAFCON 2026 for Malawi [Kylie Graham-Imagn Images]
Teams will play in a round-robin format. The top two from each group will move to the knockout stage, starting with the quarterfinals. The semifinals and final follow. There are also two playoff matches for losing semifinalists, which are linked to World Cup qualification.
If a knockout match is tied after regular time, it will go to 30 minutes of extra time. If still tied, penalties will decide the winner.
World Cup Qualification and Past Champions
This WAFCON is important because it also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. All four WAFCON semifinalists will earn a spot in the World Cup. The losing quarterfinalists will play in playoff matches. These will determine two African teams for the FIFA inter-confederation playoffs.
Four of the 16 WAFCON 2026 teams played in the 2023 Women's World Cup: Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.
People perform during the launch of the official branding of the 2027 Brazil FIFA Women’s World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. The tournament will be held in June-July 2027 [Bruna Prado/AP]
Nigeria is the most successful team in African women's football. They have won the WAFCON title a record 10 times. Equatorial Guinea won as hosts in 2008 and 2012. South Africa won in 2022, becoming the third nation to be champions. Morocco, Ghana, and Cameroon have also reached the WAFCON final.
Nigeria, known as the Super Falcons, are the favorites to win their 11th title. They are also the top-ranked team in Africa. Ghana, a three-time finalist, is expected to challenge them. Zambia, with a strong qualifying performance, is also a contender. Morocco, runners-up in the last two editions, will aim for silverware with home support.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade holds the 2024 WAFCON trophy as supporters cheer at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja [File: Marvellous Durowaiye/Reuters]
Top Players and Prize Money
Many top players in the tournament play for clubs in Europe or the United States. Zambia's forward Racheal Kundananji joined Bay FC in the NWSL for a world-record fee two years ago. Her teammate and captain, Barbra Banda, is also considered one of the best.
The Chawinga sisters are also players to watch. Tabitha is a forward for French club Lyon. Her younger sister, Temwa, plays for Kansas City Current and is a two-time NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner.
PSG forward Rasheedat Ajibade was the Player of the Tournament in the last WAFCON. Morocco's veteran Ghizlane Chebbak was the top scorer in the last edition with five goals. She is a key player for her team.
The WAFCON 2026 champion will receive $2 million, double the prize money from the last edition. The runners-up will get $750,000, a 50% increase. The total prize money has grown from $3.475 million to $5.8 million.
Tickets for the tournament went on sale on Wednesday. Category 3 tickets cost about $2, while Category 1 tickets start at $5.
