Defending champions Nigeria will begin their quest for an 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title when the expanded TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 kicks off on July 26.
The Confederation of African Football announced on Friday that the tournament will feature 16 teams for the first time, marking a significant expansion from the previous 12-team format.
In a statement CAF said: “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.”
According to the continental football body, the expansion is part of its long-term strategy to strengthen women’s football across Africa.
CAF added: “The expansion forms part of CAF’s broader women’s football strategy to strengthen the women’s game through increased participation opportunities, enhanced competition structures and greater investment in football development across the continent.”
The competition will begin on July 26 in Rabat, where hosts Morocco will face Kenya at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, while Algeria take on Senegal in the other Group A fixture.
The 14th edition of the tournament comes amid increased investment in women’s football across the continent.
“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.”
The 16 qualified teams are hosts Morocco, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Matches will be played across five CAF-approved venues in Rabat and Casablanca.
Nigeria head into the tournament as defending champions after winning a record-extending 10th continental title at the previous edition. CAF expects the Super Falcons to face stiff competition from across the continent.
The statement said: “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.”
The tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. CAF said: “Adding further significance, this year’s finals will serve as Africa’s qualification tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.”
“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 expanded tournament would be one of the most competitive editions in its history because of the continued growth of women’s football across the continent.
