Africa’s biggest women’s football tournament is set for a historic edition as the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) expands to 16 teams for the first time since its inception.
The championship will kick off on July 26 in Rabat, with host nation Morocco taking on Kenya in the opening match. Earlier that day, Algeria and Senegal will also begin their campaigns in the other Group A encounter.
CAF described the expanded format as a landmark achievement for women’s football on the continent.
“Morocco 2026 will mark a significant milestone in the history of the Competition, with the final tournament expanding from 12 to 16 participating nations for the first time,” CAF said.
The football body explained that the increase in participating teams is part of efforts to grow the women’s game by creating more opportunities for national teams and improving competition across Africa.
The competition, now in its 14th edition, reflects the rapid progress made in women’s football in recent years.
“CAF has made significant progress in growing and developing women’s football,” the governing body said. “Over the last five years, the prize money for the winners of the Competition has increased from USD 150,000 to USD 1 million under CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe.”
Sixteen countries will compete at the tournament, including hosts Morocco, defending champions Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, Malawi, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde.
The matches will be played across five stadiums located in Rabat and Casablanca.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will be aiming to retain the title they won at the previous edition and extend their dominance after claiming a record 10 continental crowns. However, CAF believes several countries have the quality to challenge for the trophy.
“The Super Falcons are expected to face strong competition from across the continent, including hosts Morocco, former champions South Africa, traditional powerhouses such as Cameroon and emerging contenders including Algeria, Zambia, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire,” CAF said.
The competition will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
“Adding further significance, this year’s finals will serve as Africa’s qualification tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027,” CAF said.
“The four quarter-final winners will secure automatic qualification to the global showpiece, while the four teams eliminated at that stage will remain in contention through the FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off pathway.”
CAF expressed confidence that the quality of the participating teams and continued investment in women’s football will make the Morocco 2026 tournament one of the most competitive in the competition’s history.
