CAF MOVES 2026 WOMEN’S AFCON TO JULY

By: Gyang Dakwo

The Confederation of African Football has announced new dates for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, shifting the tournament from its earlier schedule of March 17 to April 3 to a new period of July 25 to August 16, 2026.

The tournament will still be hosted by Morocco, which received the hosting rights in October 2024.

The announcement came only 12 days before the competition was expected to begin. CAF explained that the decision followed discussions with partners including FIFA and other stakeholders so that the tournament can be properly organised and remain successful in the long term.

In a statement posted on its website on March 5, CAF stated;

“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.”

“Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful.”

The new schedule gives participating teams more time to prepare, and this includes Nigeria Women’s National Football Team, the defending champions of the competition.

The Super Falcons won their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in 2025 after they defeated hosts Morocco in a dramatic comeback in the final.

The 2026 tournament will also serve as qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, and the top four teams will secure automatic qualification for the global competition.