The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will not begin in Morocco on March 17 as planned and has been moved to the summer. After discussions 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 gave no detailed reason for the delay, referring only to “certain unforeseen circumstances,” but added that preparations are underway and all parties are confident the tournament will be successful.
The announcement comes weeks after CAF President Patrice Motsepe had said the schedule would not change. WAFCON also serves as a qualifying event for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Rumors had circulated that Morocco sought to withdraw as host and that South Africa might 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, now scheduled to stage WAFCON for a third consecutive time.
South Africa won WAFCON in 2022, beating hosts Morocco 2-1.
Edited by: Matt Pearson