After a last-minute postponement earlier this year, the 2026 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) is finally set to get underway this weekend in Morocco, marking the third consecutive time the North African nation has hosted the continental tournament’s finals.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) delayed the tournament just 12 days before its original March start date, citing unforeseen scheduling complications. What was initially planned to run from March 17 to April 4 will now kick off Sunday, July 26, with an opening Group A clash between Algeria and Senegal at Rabat’s Olympic Stadium, kicking off at 17:00 GMT. This compressed timeline comes just 12 months after the delayed 2024 Wafcon, also hosted by Morocco, but the extra time created by the postponement has allowed organizers to fully prepare for the tournament’s historic expansion.
For the first time in Wafcon history, 16 teams will compete for the continental crown, up from 12 in previous editions. The expanded tournament will feature 34 total matches, concluding with the final on Sunday, August 16. Beyond regional bragging rights, this edition carries extra global stakes: it serves as the African qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. All four teams that reach the semi-finals will secure an automatic spot in the World Cup, while the four quarter-final losing sides will compete in two playoffs for spots in the intercontinental World Cup qualifying stage.
### Tournament Format and Group Draw
The 16 qualified nations have been split into four groups of four, with the top two finishers from each group advancing to the knockout quarter-final stage. The full group breakdown is as follows:
– **Group A (Rabat):** Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
– **Group B (Casablanca):** South Africa (2022 champions), Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
– **Group C (Rabat):** Nigeria (2024 champions), Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
– **Group D (Casablanca):** Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde
Both Malawi and Cape Verde are making their Wafcon debuts at this edition, while Kenya is returning to the tournament for the first time in a decade, after their single previous appearance in 2016.
Defending champions Nigeria enter the tournament as overwhelming favorites, targeting a record-extending 11th Wafcon title. The Super Falcons, who beat hosts Morocco 1-0 in last year’s dramatic final, currently rank as Africa’s top women’s national side. Led by homegrown head coach Justin Madugu, the squad boasts a wealth of elite talent: three-time consecutive African Goalkeeper of the Year Chiamaka Nnadozie, and 2024 Wafcon Most Valuable Player Rasheedat Ajibade, the team’s captain.
Hosts Morocco are aiming to go one step further after finishing as runners-up in both 2022 and 2024. Benefiting from massive infrastructure investment across men’s and women’s football in recent years, the Atlas Lionesses have added 2023 World Cup-winning manager Jorge Vilda to their technical staff, bringing elite international experience to the side. Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak, who finished as top scorer at the 2024 tournament with five goals, will lead the team’s push for a first-ever title.
Other title contenders include 2022 champions South Africa, who retain experienced head coach Desiree Ellis at the helm, and 2024 third-place finishers Ghana, led by head coach Kim Bjorkegren. Zambia rounds out the list of likely challengers: the Copper Queens fell 5-0 to Nigeria in last year’s quarter-finals, but count 2024 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Barbra Banda among their ranks, who will be expected to carry the team’s offensive threat.
### Venue Adjustments Post-Postponement
Morocco used six stadiums across five host cities for the 2024 tournament, but organizers have consolidated matches to just two cities for 2026: Rabat, the national capital, and Casablanca. Originally, the city of Fes was scheduled to host all Group D matches, but those fixtures have since been moved to Casablanca’s existing venues, cutting the total number of host cities from five to two.
All three Rabat venues previously hosted matches during the 2025 men’s Africa Cup of Nations, part of a series of major infrastructure upgrades Morocco has completed as it prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. Morocco’s group stage matches will be held at the 45,000-seat Moulay Hassan Stadium, which will also host one quarter-final and one semi-final. The venue for the final has not yet been finalized: it will either be Moulay Hassan Stadium or the larger Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, which hosted the 2025 men’s Afcon final. If Morocco reaches the final, the larger Prince Moulay Abdellah venue is widely expected to be selected.
The five confirmed match venues are:
1. Moulay Hassan Stadium (Rabat)
2. Olympic Stadium (Rabat)
3. Al Medina Stadium (Rabat)
4. Larbi Zaouli Stadium (Casablanca)
5. Moulay Rachid Stadium (Casablanca)
### Full Match Schedule (All Times GMT)
The vast majority of matches will kick off at 17:00 GMT and 20:00 GMT throughout the group and early knockout stages, with the final starting at a revised 19:00 GMT. The full schedule is as follows:
**Group Stage**
– Sunday 26 July: Algeria v Senegal (17:00, Rabat); Morocco v Kenya (20:00, Rabat)
– Monday 27 July: South Africa v Tanzania (17:00, Casablanca); Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso (20:00, Casablanca)
– Tuesday 28 July: Zambia v Egypt (17:00, Rabat); Nigeria v Malawi (20:00, Rabat)
– Wednesday 29 July: Ghana v Cape Verde (17:00, Casablanca); Cameroon v Mali (20:00, Casablanca)
– Thursday 30 July: Senegal v Kenya (17:00, Rabat); Morocco v Algeria (20:00, Rabat)
– Friday 31 July: South Africa v Ivory Coast (17:00, Casablanca); Burkina Faso v Tanzania (20:00, Casablanca)
– Saturday 1 August: Egypt v Malawi (17:00, Rabat); Nigeria v Zambia (20:00, Rabat)
– Sunday 2 August: Ghana v Cameroon (17:00, Casablanca); Mali v Cape Verde (20:00, Casablanca)
– Monday 3 August: Senegal v Morocco (20:00, Rabat); Kenya v Algeria (20:00, Rabat)
– Tuesday 4 August: Burkina Faso v South Africa (20:00, Casablanca); Tanzania v Ivory Coast (20:00, Casablanca)
– Wednesday 5 August: Egypt v Nigeria (20:00, Rabat); Malawi v Zambia (20:00, Rabat)
– Thursday 6 August: Mali v Ghana (20:00, Casablanca); Cape Verde v Cameroon (20:00, Casablanca)
**Knockout Stage**
– Saturday 8 August: Quarter-final 2 (Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A, 17:00, Casablanca); Quarter-final 1 (Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B, 20:00, Rabat)
– Sunday 9 August: Quarter-final 4 (Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C, 17:00, Casablanca); Quarter-final 3 (Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D, 20:00, Rabat)
– Wednesday 12 August: Semi-final 2 (Winner QF2 v Winner QF3, 17:00, Rabat); Semi-final 1 (Winner QF1 v Winner QF4, 20:00, Rabat)
– Thursday 13 August: World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Semi-final 1 (Loser QF2 v Loser QF3, 17:00, Casablanca); World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Semi-final 2 (Loser QF1 v Loser QF4, 20:00, Casablanca)
– Saturday 15 August: Third Place Playoff (Loser SF1 v Loser SF2, 17:00, Rabat)
– Sunday 16 August: 2026 Wafcon Final (Winner SF1 v Winner SF2, 19:00, Rabat)