The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially expanded the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) to a 16-team format, increasing participation from the previous 12-team structure.
The decision follows the completion of the qualification series and forms part of CAF’s broader strategy to accelerate the growth and competitiveness of women’s football across the continent.
As part of the expansion, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Egypt have been added to the tournament, despite being eliminated in the final round of qualifiers.
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Their inclusion was approved after CAF evaluated the highest-ranked teams in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings among those who narrowly missed out.
These four teams join the twelve already-qualified nations:Morocco (hosts), Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.
The tournament will be staged in Morocco from 17 March to 3 April 2026.
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Rankings Behind the Selections
The additional four qualifiers were selected based on FIFA Women’s World Ranking positions as of the final qualification stage:
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Tournament Significance
The WAFCON also serves as Africa’s qualification pathway to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, set to be hosted in Brazil. Expanding the field to 16 teams increases opportunities for more nations to challenge for World Cup slots and accelerates the competitive standard across all regions of Africa.
Reigning Champions & Scheduling Context
Nigeria, who claimed the 2024 WAFCON title, will enter the 2026 tournament as defending champions. The previous edition was held a year later than initially scheduled after CAF shifted the women’s tournament calendar to align more closely with the men’s event. However, this created an overlap with the Olympic Games, where both Nigeria and Zambia also featured.
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What the Expansion Means for African Women’s Football
The expansion marks a major milestone in the ongoing rise of women’s football in Africa, signalling CAF’s commitment to building a stronger, more globally competitive women’s football ecosystem.
