CAIRO, Egypt — The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026, pushing the continental tournament from its original March–April schedule to July 25 to August 16, 2026.
In a statement released Thursday, CAF said the decision followed consultations with key football stakeholders, including the global governing body FIFA, to ensure the success of Africa’s premier women’s football competition.
“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 to July 25 – August 16, 2026, to ensure the success of this important women’s competition, in light of certain unforeseen circumstances,” the continental football body said.
CAF did not provide further details on the nature of the unforeseen circumstances that prompted the postponement.
Morocco was originally slated to host
The tournament had initially been scheduled to run from March 17 to April 3, 2026, with Morocco announced earlier as the host nation.
However, CAF’s latest communication did not explicitly confirm whether Morocco will remain the host for the rescheduled tournament, leaving some uncertainty around the final hosting arrangements.
Morocco has recently positioned itself as a major host of continental football events, having staged the 2022 WAFCON and several CAF club competitions. The North African nation is also preparing to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
Growing prominence of women’s football in Africa
The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is the continent’s flagship women’s football competition, organized by CAF and held every two years. The tournament serves as a key platform for developing women’s football and often acts as a qualifier for global competitions such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Recent editions have seen growing investment, increased broadcast coverage and rising competitiveness among African national teams.
The postponement may also affect preparation timelines for national teams across the continent, many of which were already planning training camps and qualification programs around the original schedule.
CAF said further details regarding the tournament structure, hosting arrangements and preparations will be communicated in due course.