Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026: What to know about the tournament

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Berths in the 2027 Women’s World Cup and continental bragging rights will be up for grabs when 16 teams compete at the delayed Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026.

The action in Morocco begins on Sunday, four months after it was initially supposed to start.

When does the WAFCON start, and when is the final?

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 will begin on Sunday, as Algeria face Senegal in the tournament opener, and hosts Morocco face Kenya on the same day.

The final will be played on August 16 in Rabat, marking the conclusion of 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

The kickoff times will be at 17:00 GMT and 20:00 GMT throughout the tournament, except for the final, which will be at 19:00 GMT.

The WAFCON is held every two years, but logistical issues pushed the 2024 edition back by a year to July 2025, leaving a shorter gap than usual between tournaments.

Why was WAFCON rescheduled?

Initially, the tournament was due to be held from March 17 to April 3, but just 12 days before the start, CAF announced it would be postponed due to “certain unforeseen circumstances”.

While CAF did not share further details about the reason for the postponement, news agencies, including Reuters, reported that host nation Morocco pushed for a change in dates.

Speculation about Morocco’s willingness to host the tournament increased after the on and off-field controversy that marred the men’s AFCON final in January, which Morocco lost 1-0 to Senegal in a dramatic contest in Rabat.

Two months later, however, CAF awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory because of several Senegal players leaving the pitch in protest at the award of a penalty.

Where is the tournament being held?

As was the case in the 2022 and 2024 editions, Morocco will again host the WAFCON.

Matches will be held across five stadiums in two cities, 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

Initially, games were also scheduled to be held in the city of Fez, but those have been moved to Casablanca.

The venue for the final is yet to be confirmed – it will either be the Moulay Hassan Stadium or the 69,500-seater Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The latter also hosted this year’s men’s AFCON final.

Soccer Football - CAF Africa Cup of Nations - Morocco 2025 - Final - Senegal v Morocco - Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco - January 18, 2026 General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Stringer

How many teams are taking part?

The tournament will feature 16 teams for the first time, up from the 12-team format in the last two editions. This decision to expand the format was announced by CAF in November, only four months before the initial start of the tournament and after the qualifying phase had ended.

Thus, based on the FIFA world rankings, the top four teams from those eliminated in the final qualifying round were selected to complete the list of participants.

Here’s how the nations are split into four 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

Of the 16 qualified teams, nine also featured at the 2024 edition.

Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tunisia, who qualified in 2024, missed out this time, while Cape Verde and Malawi will make their first appearance in the tournament.

Cape Verde’s WAFCON debut comes shortly after their men’s team achieved a historic last-32 finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

What is the tournament format?

The teams will play in a round-robin format, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stage, which begins with the quarterfinals. The semifinals and the final follow next, while there are also two playoffs for the losing semifinalists linked to World Cup qualification.

In the knockout stages, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, it will proceed to 30 minutes of extra time, followed by penalties if necessary.

How is the Women’s World Cup qualification linked to WAFCON?

This edition of WAFCON holds extra significance as it also serves as a qualifying competition for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

All four WAFCON semifinalists will secure 2027 World Cup berths, while the losing quarterfinalists will participate in playoff matches to determine the two African teams who will play in the FIFA inter-confederation playoffs.

Of the 16 participants at WAFCON 2026, four were at 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 Soccer tournament, in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Who are the previous WAFCON champions?

Nigeria are the most dominant force in African women’s football, having won the WAFCON title a record 10 times. Their title triumph at the 2024 edition was dubbed as completing “Mission X”.

Apart from the mighty Nigerians, Equatorial Guinea won as hosts of the 2008 and 2012 editions, and South Africa won the 2022 edition to become the third nation to be crowned champions.

Morocco, Ghana, and Cameroon are the only nations outside of the previous winners to have also made it to the WAFCON final.

Who are the favourites to win this year?

As the most successful African nation in women’s football, Nigeria remain the team to beat as the Super Falcons bid for a record-extending 11th crown. They are also the continent’s top-ranked side.

But three-time finalists Ghana, who scored seven goals and conceded none during the qualification phase, are expected to give the heavyweights a run for their money.

Zambia, who also had a dominant display in the qualifiers and sealed a fourth consecutive WAFCON berth, are in the mix, while Morocco, runners-up at the last two editions, will once again look to turn fervent home support into silverware.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade holds the 2024 WAFCON trophy as supporters cheer at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja

Who are the top players in WAFCON 2026?

Many of the stars at the tournament play club football in Europe or the United States.

Zambia’s forward Kundananji, who joined Bay FC in the American top-flight NWSL two years ago for a then-world-record fee, has been a key part of the Southern African country’s rise in recent years. Her teammate Banda, the Zambia striker and captain, is widely considered one of the top players in women’s football.

Fans should also watch out for the Chawinga sisters – Tabitha is a forward for French club Lyon, while her younger sibling, Temwa, also plays in the same position, for Kansas City Current. Temwa is a two-time NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner.

PSG forward Ajibade, the Player of the Tournament in the last WAFCON, is a standout member of the reigning champions Nigeria, while Morocco’s veteran Ghizlane Chebbak, the top scorer in the last edition with five goals, is one of the best finishers in Africa and remains an influential part of the side.

What is the prize money for WAFCON?

The WAFCON 2026 champion will take home $2m, double the prize money of the last edition. However, it is still significantly lower than the $10m offered to this year’s men’s AFCON champions.

The runners-up will pick up $750,000 – an increase of 50 percent – while the overall prize pot has increased from $3.475m to $5.8m.