CAF Postpones 2026 WAFCON 12 Days to Kick-off

CAF Postpones 2026 WAFCON 12 Days to Kick-off

The Confederation of African Football has postponed the 2026 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations barely 12 days before the tournament was scheduled to begin in Morocco.

In a statement released on Thursday, CAF said the competition had been rescheduled to July due to what it described as “unforeseen circumstances.”

The continental football body explained that the tournament, initially planned to run from March 17 to April 3, will now take place from July 25 to August 16.

The championship, which also serves as part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, was expected to feature 16 teams.

Morocco had been billed to host the tournament for the third consecutive time after successfully staging the 2022 and 2024 editions.

However, uncertainty over the country’s readiness to host the competition had sparked anxiety among teams and supporters in recent weeks.

Speculation intensified following chaotic scenes at the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations where Morocco lost 1–0 to Senegal at the Stade Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.

Although CAF did not indicate any change in host nation, it said the decision to postpone the tournament was taken to ensure the successful organisation of the women’s championship.

“The competition has been rescheduled to allow for better preparations and to ensure the success of this important women’s football event,” the organisation said.

The group stage draw for the expanded 16-team tournament had earlier been conducted on January 15, but CAF had yet to release the full match schedule before announcing the postponement.

The development has also revived debates about the commitment of African football authorities to the women’s game.

The 2020 edition of the tournament was cancelled because of the global outbreak of COVID-19, while the men’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was later played in Cameroon after being rescheduled.

Similarly, the 2024 WAFCON tournament, which was won by Nigeria women’s national football team, was eventually played in July last year after scheduling conflicts with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The postponement has drawn criticism from some stakeholders in the women’s game, including former captain of the Nigerian national women’s team, Desire Oparanozie.

Oparanozie expressed disappointment at the recurring disruptions affecting women’s football competitions in Africa.

“I’m very worried and disappointed because this keeps happening with women’s football,” she said.

She noted that players had already begun intensive preparations for the tournament, warning that the uncertainty could affect both their physical and mental readiness.

According to her, many athletes had put their personal engagements on hold to focus on the competition.

Some national teams, including those from Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana, had already stepped up preparations with international friendly matches and training camps abroad.

Members of the Ghana women’s national football team were on a training tour in the United Arab Emirates when the postponement was announced.

Despite the change in schedule, CAF maintained that preparations for the competition were ongoing and assured teams and supporters that further details would be communicated in due course.