Sports
CAF Expands Women’s AFCON to 16 Teams for 2026 Edition
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced that the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will expand from 12 to 16 teams, starting with the 2026 edition in Morocco. The tournament will run from March 17 to April 3, 2026.
According to a statement released on Wednesday via CAF’s official website, the expansion aligns with its strategic vision to strengthen competitiveness and accelerate the growth of women’s football across the African continent.
“As the qualification phase for the 2026 edition has already been completed, the Executive Committee has approved the selection mechanism to determine the four additional teams.
Based on the current FIFA Women’s World Rankings, the top four teams from those eliminated in the final qualifying round have been selected to complete the list of participants.” – CAF
CAF confirmed that the following teams have been added to complete the 16-team list: Cameroon (66th in FIFA ranking), Côte d’Ivoire (71st), Mali (79th), and Egypt (95th).
These nations will join the 12 teams already qualified:
Morocco (hosts), Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.
CAF said the move will give more African nations the opportunity to gain exposure on the continental stage and further boost the global visibility of women’s football from Africa.
The 2026 WAFCON will also serve as the African qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, providing another incentive for participating teams to showcase their talent and growth.
This expansion marks a new era for women’s football on the continent, reflecting CAF’s commitment to ensuring inclusivity, development, and increased global recognition for African women athletes.
