The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to be hosted in Morocco, moving the tournament from its earlier March timetable to a new window between July and August.
CAF confirmed the decision in a statement released on Thursday on its official website, bringing clarity to weeks of uncertainty about the competition’s schedule.
Morocco had secured the right to host the tournament in October 2024. However, the continental football authority has now set new dates for the event, which will take place from July 25 to August 16. The adjustment followed consultations between CAF, FIFA and other stakeholders involved in organising the championship.
The competition was originally expected to run from March 17 to April 3.
CAF explained that the rescheduling was aimed at ensuring proper organisation and a successful staging of the continent’s biggest women’s football tournament.
“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 to 25 July – 16 August 2026 to ensure the success of this important women’s competition, in the light of certain unforeseen circumstances,” the organisation said.
The football governing body added that preparations for the competition were ongoing and that organisers remained confident about delivering a successful event.
“Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful,” the statement added.
The announcement comes amid growing concerns regarding the readiness of the tournament. Several arrangements ahead of the competition had not yet been finalised before the initially planned kickoff date. Important elements such as venues for the knockout stages, accreditation processes for journalists, the selection of match officials and the scheduling of technical workshops were still pending. Promotional activities for the tournament had also been largely limited.
For defending champions Nigeria, the new dates may provide more time to prepare for their title defence. The Nigeria women’s national football team recently completed a two-match friendly series against the Cameroon women’s national football team in Yaoundé, losing the first encounter 1–0 before recovering to secure a 3–1 victory in the second match.
The tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualification route for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in Brazil. According to the qualification format, the four teams that reach the semi-finals will automatically qualify for the global competition, while another African team will still have the opportunity to secure a place through an intercontinental play-off.
What you should know
The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is the biggest women’s football tournament on the African continent, organised by the Confederation of African Football.
The competition plays a crucial role in developing women’s football in Africa and also serves as a qualification pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Nigeria remains the most successful team in the tournament’s history, with multiple titles won by the Super Falcons.
The decision to move the 2026 edition to July and August is expected to give organisers more time to finalise logistics, venues and promotional activities ahead of the competition.
