"Instead of taking place between March 17 and April 3, the tournament has now been moved back by over four months, and will be played between July 25 and August 16, like a train shunted into a more distant siding while more important traffic comes down the tracks."
"This puts the players and coaches who had been training and preparing for the tournament out of their misery, less than two weeks before the event was meant to begin, and also -- for now at least -- assuages concerns that the competition will be cancelled altogether."
"At least a slot has been found, and the teams have a date to prepare for, while the reprogramming also eases fears that qualification for next year's World Cup in Brazil will be compromised, with the tournament doubling up as CAF's route to that tournament for the four semifinalists."
The Confederation of African Football confirmed that the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations would not take place in Morocco in March as originally planned. The tournament was rescheduled to July 25 through August 16, occurring just six days after the men's World Cup concludes. This postponement, moving the event over four months later, provides relief to players and coaches who had been preparing for the March competition, while also alleviating concerns about tournament cancellation. The new schedule maintains the competition's role as CAF's qualifying route for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, with the four semifinalists earning qualification spots. However, the sparse official announcement leaves numerous questions unanswered regarding other tournament details and logistics.
Read at ESPN.com
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