The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has been postponed to July–August, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty over whether the tournament would proceed as planned this month.
The championship also serves as a qualifying stage for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with four African teams earning automatic spots and two additional teams entering the intercontinental playoffs.
The WAFCON was originally scheduled to be played from March 17 to April 3, but hosts Morocco pushed for a change in dates due to what CAF describes as “unforeseen circumstances.”
“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 said in a statement on Thursday, without giving further details about the reason for the postponement.
“Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful.”
The number of teams competing at the finals has been expanded to 16 for the first time, with Nigeria the defending champions after they lifted the trophy at the 2024 edition, which was played last year having also been postponed.