CAF reschedules 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially rescheduled the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026, originally set for March 17 to April 3, 2026, in Morocco.

According to a statement on the federation’s website, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, the tournament will now be held from July 25 to August 16, 2026, following consultations with FIFA and other stakeholders.

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CAF explained that the adjustment was necessary to ensure the success of this important women’s competition, in light of certain unforeseen circumstances.

“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAFdecided 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 noted.

This edition will be historic, featuring 16 teams for the first time, up from 12 in previous editions. The qualified nations include Morocco, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt.

The group stage draw has been completed, placing Kenya in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria, a pool considered highly competitive. Other groups include Tanzania, Burkina Faso, South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire in Group B; Zambia, Nigeria, Egypt, and Malawi in Group C; and Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, and Cape Verde in Group D.

WAFCON 2026 will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the semi-finalists earning automatic spots at the global event.

For Kenya, the date change comes after the Harambee Starlets had already travelled to the Ivory Coast for pre-tournament preparations.

Drawn in Group A, the team aims to improve on its second-ever WAFCON appearance, having first competed in 2016 in Cameroon, where they exited at the group stage.

CAF reassured all stakeholders that despite the change in dates, preparations remain on track. “Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway, and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful,” The federation said.