CAF postpones WAFCON 2026 and moves tournament to July and August

CAF has rescheduled the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 from March 17–April 3 to July 25–August 16.The confederation said the decision followed talks with commercial and football stakeholders and said: “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 added: “Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful.”Morocco remains the host, with CAF noting that it awarded the hosting rights in October 2024 and that the finals were originally scheduled for March 17–April 3.The postponement lands outside the slot previously reserved for WAFCON in FIFA’s Women’s International Match Calendar for 2026-2029, which lists the competition during the March 17-April 3 period.The rescheduling also comes after CAF had already confirmed a major format change for the Morocco edition, with the tournament expanding from 12 to 16 teams from 2026.CAF said the expansion was approved by its executive committee and framed it as part of its wider plans for the women’s game. “The decision is in line with CAF’s strategic vision to strengthen the competitiveness and development of women’s football on the African continent."This will allow more nations to participate in African women’s football’s flagship competition, contributing to its continued growth and global reach.”Under the expansion mechanism outlined by CAF, the four additional teams were selected from those eliminated in the final qualifying round, based on the FIFA Women’s World Rankings at the time.CAF also reiterated that WAFCON feeds into the global calendar, stating the competition “serves as the continental qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.”