WAFCON officially postponed until July-August 2026

Originally posted on The Equalizer | Last updated Mar 5, 2026 3:17 PM ET

The Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has officially been rescheduled.

The tournament, which serves as qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, was slated to begin in just two weeks, on March 17. Morocco serves as the host nation, for the third year in a row.

In a statement, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said the move to push the tournament to late summer was made “to ensure the success of this important women’s competition, in the light of certain unforeseen circumstances.”

“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026, to 25 July – 16 August 2026; to ensure the success of this important women’s competition, in the light of certain unforeseen circumstances,” CAF’s statement continued. “Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful.”

WAFCON will be played during the National Women’s Soccer League season. The league announced that it will take a four-week break from June 1-28, where no official league matches will be played. This is due to the FIFA Men’s World Cup, taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

The NWSL is home to WAFCON-participating players like Temwa Chawinga (Mawali), Barbra Banda (Zambia), Michelle Alozie (Nigeria), Aissata Traoré (Mali), Stella Nyamekye (Ghana), Rosemonde Kouassi (Côte d’Ivoire), Deborah Abiodun (Nigeria), Gift Monday (Nigeria), Nicole Payne (Nigeria), Prisca Chilufya (Zambia) and Racheal Kundananji (Zambia).

WAFCON will feature 16 teams, up from the previous number of 12. Four teams from CADF will earn a direct qualification, while two will be eligible for playoff spots.

Group A consists of Morocco, Algeria, Senegal and Kenya. Group B features South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Tanzania. Group C sees Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt and Malawi facing off — with Nigeria earning 10 of the last 13 titles. Finally, Group D will feature Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde.