The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, shifting the tournament from its initial March schedule to a new window between July and August.
CAF confirmed the decision in a statement published on its website on Thursday, ending weeks of uncertainty surrounding the tournament.
The competition, which Morocco won the right to host in October 2024, will now take place from July 25 to August 16, following negotiations with CAF, FIFA, and other important parties engaged in the event’s planning.
The event was initially planned to run from March 17 to April 3.
CAF stated that the change in dates was necessary to maintain the seamless operation of the continent’s flagship women’s football championship.
“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 light of certain unforeseen circumstances,” the organization said.
The governing body also expressed confidence that tournament preparations were on track and that the event would live up to expectations.
“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 rising doubts about the tournament’s preparation, with several pre-competition arrangements still to be finalized before the scheduled kickoff date.
Key aspects such as knockout round venues, accreditation for journalists, match officials, and technical workshops have still to be finalized, and promotional activities for the competition were entirely lacking.
The timetable modification could provide additional preparation time for Nigeria’s title defense.
The Super Falcons just completed a two-match friendly series against Cameroon in Yaoundé, losing the first leg 1-0 before winning the second leg 3-1.
The event will also act as Africa’s qualification route to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Under the qualification process, the four semi-finalists will receive automatic entry into the global competition, while another African team will have the opportunity to qualify via an intercontinental playoff.
