The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), just two weeks before the tournament was set to begin.
The competition, which was scheduled to run from March 17 to April 3, 2026, in Morocco, has been pushed back to 25th July-16th August 2026.
While speculation about the tournament’s stability had been mounting for weeks, the decision has sent shockwaves through the continent’s footballing community, leaving 16 national teams shocked by the decision.
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CAF postpones WAFCON 2026
In the. Official communication by the regional body on Thursday afternoon, CAF says the decision was reached at to give ample time for preparations.
“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the Total Energies 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.
Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful ” read part of the statement.
In the midst of the uncertainty leading up to the announcement, South Africa emerged as a vocal candidate to step in as an alternative host.
South African officials, including Deputy Minister of Sport Peace Mabe, publicly expressed the country’s readiness to take over the tournament, highlighting their world-class infrastructure and proven track record of hosting major sporting events.
While CAF ultimately decided to maintain Morocco as the host nation for the rescheduled dates, the South African bid put significant pressure on the governing body to provide clarity for the 16 participating nations.
The 2026 edition marks a historic milestone as the first WAFCON to feature an expanded roster of 16 teams, up from the previous 12-team format.
The qualified teams set to compete are Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, and two tournament debutants, Cape Verde and Malawi.