Women's Africa Cup of Nations postponed 12 days before tournament due to start

"The Confederation of African Football has confirmed the postponement of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations to July-August just 12 days before the tournament was due to start. The decision ends weeks of speculation as to whether it would go ahead as scheduled this month but leaves teams without games to play during this international break."

"The tournament serves as a preliminary for the 2027 Women's World Cup, where four African sides will gain automatic qualification, and two more will go into the inter-continental qualifiers. The Wafcon was originally scheduled to be played from 17 March to 3 April but hosts Morocco pushed for a change in dates due to what CAF describes as unforeseen circumstances."

"After discussions between CAF and its partners, Fifa and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the 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, CAF said in a statement on Thursday, without giving further details about the reason for the postponement."

The Confederation of African Football announced the postponement of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) from March 17 to April 3 to July 25 to August 16, 2026, just 12 days before the original start date. Morocco, the host nation, requested the date change citing unforeseen circumstances, though specific details were not disclosed. The tournament serves as a qualifying pathway for the 2027 Women's World Cup, with four African teams earning automatic qualification and two additional teams entering inter-continental qualifiers. The competition has been expanded to 16 teams for the first time. Nigeria defends its title as the 2024 champions. The postponement leaves teams without scheduled matches during the international break, though CAF and stakeholders remain confident in the tournament's success.

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