The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved a major expansion of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), increasing the number of participating teams from 12 to 16, starting with the 2026 tournament in Morocco.
The 2026 edition is scheduled to run from March 17 to April 3, 2026, and will mark the first time in the history of the women’s competition that 16 nations will compete for the continental title.
CAF, in a statement released on Wednesday on its official website, said the decision reflects its broader strategy to strengthen women’s football across the continent and ensure more representation at the highest level.
“As the qualification phase for the 2026 edition has already been completed, the Executive Committee has approved the selection mechanism to determine the four additional teams,” the statement read in part.
To fill the new slots, CAF selected Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt, based on their current FIFA Women’s World Rankings. The four teams will now join the 12 nations that had already booked their tickets for the finals.
Those previously qualified include Morocco (hosts), Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.
CAF noted that the tournament’s expansion will help broaden participation, improve competition standards, and expose more African players to international football experience.
The 2026 WAFCON will also double as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted in Brazil.
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