The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will not start in Morocco on March 17 as planned and has been moved to the summer. After talks with FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF rescheduled the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 to 25 July – 16 August 2026, saying the change is to “ensure the success of this important women’s competition.”
CAF did not give a detailed explanation for the delay, referring only to “certain unforeseen circumstances,” but added that preparations are underway and that all parties are confident the tournament will be successful.
The announcement follows remarks weeks earlier from CAF President Patrice Motsepe, who had said the schedule would not change. WAFCON also serves as a qualifying event for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
There had been rumours that Morocco might withdraw as host and that South Africa could replace it. South Africa’s deputy minister of sport said the country would step in, a claim later denied by the sports minister. Morocco remains the host and will now stage WAFCON for a third consecutive time.
South Africa won WAFCON in 2022, beating hosts Morocco 2-1.
Edited by: Matt Pearson