CAF announces new dates for Women's Africa Cup of Nations after postponement
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 05.03.26. | 17:32
In a brief statement released on Thursday, 5 March, CAF revealed new dates for the tournament slated for Morocco but fell short of explaining the decision
Following widespread speculations surrounding dates and hosting rights of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has responded by postponing the tournament.
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In a statement on its official website, CAF confirmed that, in collaboration with world football governing body FIFA and other key stakeholders, the tournament has been rescheduled to run from Saturday, 25 July to Sunday, 16 August 2026, marking a delay of over five months for Africa’s premier women’s football championship.
"In October 2024, the Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) granted the hosting rights for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (“WAFCON”) 2026 to Morocco, and this tournament was scheduled for 17 March to 3 April 2026.
After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAFdecided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF 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.
Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful," read the statement in full.
CAF explained that the postponement was due to unforeseen circumstances, emphasising that the decision was made to ensure the success and smooth running of the competition.
CAF Reschedules the Dates of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup (“WAFCON”) 2026, to 25 July – 16 August 2026https://t.co/jSJLn0im4s
— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) March 5, 2026
The African football governing body expressed confidence that the tournament will be successfully staged within the newly stipulated timeframe.
Harambee Starlets were drawn in Group A, where they were set to compete against hosts Morocco, as well as Senegal and Algeria.
Kenya earned their place at WAFCON 2026 following a convincing 4–1 aggregate victory over The Gambia in the final round of qualifiers, including a 3–1 home win in Nairobi and a 1–0 victory in the away leg.
The qualification marked Starlets’ second appearance at WAFCON, with their debut coming in 2016, ending a nine-year absence in the continental stage.
The postponement represents a significant disruption for the Harambee Starlets, who had been deep into preparations, having pitched camp in Ivory Coast with two recent friendlies against Benin and Ivory Coast in readiness for the tournament originally set to begin in just twelve days.