Wafcon 2026 Postponed Days Before Scheduled Start
Nigeria secured a record-extending 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations title in Rabat in July last year.
The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) has been postponed just 12 days before the finals were due to begin in Morocco.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) announced on Thursday that the tournament would be rescheduled to July due to "unforeseen circumstances." Originally, the competition was set to take place from 17 March to 3 April.
Morocco was to host the third consecutive edition of the finals, although reports of a possible change in host nation had caused concern among players and fans in recent weeks.
Speculation about Morocco's readiness to host intensified following the disorderly scenes at the 2025 men's Africa Cup of Nations final, where Morocco lost 1-0 to Senegal in a dramatic match at Stade Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.
Caf stated the postponement was intended to "ensure the success of this important women's competition." The tournament will now be held from 25 July to 16 August, with preparations ongoing. The statement did not clarify whether Morocco would remain the host.
The group stage draw for the expanded 16-team tournament was conducted on 15 January, but Caf had not yet released the full match schedule.
Earlier in February, South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie had to clarify comments from his deputy suggesting South Africa might take over as hosts for Wafcon 2026.
This postponement raises further questions about Caf's commitment to women's football. The 2020 Wafcon was cancelled entirely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was postponed to early 2022.
The 2024 Wafcon, won by Nigeria, was held in July last year due to scheduling conflicts including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Wafcon is the second major continental tournament to be postponed at short notice in the past 14 months. Caf also postponed the 2024 African Nations Championship just 18 days before its scheduled start on 1 February 2025 in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
At that time, Caf explained that more time was needed to ensure infrastructure and facilities met required standards. The finals were eventually held in August last year.
Uncertainty over Wafcon 2026 Disappointing - Oparanozie
Desire Oparanozie scored the winning goals for Nigeria in both the 2014 and 2016 Wafcon finals.
Before Caf's announcement, the BBC spoke with former Super Falcons captain Desire Oparanozie, who expressed deep disappointment over the repeated setbacks affecting women's football in Africa.
"I'm very much worried and I would say I'm disappointed because this keeps happening with women's football," she told Africa.
"During Covid the Wafcon was postponed [but] the men went on to play the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon."
"I think it's because it's women's football, people really don't give that much importance to it," she added.
Morocco successfully hosted Wafcon in 2022 and the delayed 2024 edition held in 2025, which saw record attendance figures and strong television audiences across Africa.
"It's disappointing that we're depending so much on Morocco," said Oparanozie, a four-time Wafcon winner with Nigeria.
"Caf should start looking for possible countries that will actually come up to take the spot if Morocco were to pull out."
Oparanozie noted that the postponement could have physical and psychological effects on players who had been preparing intensively for the tournament.
Teams such as Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ghana had continued preparations with high-profile friendlies, with Ghana's Black Queens on a training tour in the United Arab Emirates.
"They [players] will be very worried considering the amount of work they've put in so far physically and mentally."
"They've put their lives on hold just to focus for this tournament and prolonged uncertainty could demoralise some," she said.
The escalating conflict in the Middle East, which has caused airspace closures and flight cancellations, has further heightened concerns about the tournament. The Ghanaian team has sought assurances and support from their foreign mission.
"We are currently safe, our mission is in touch with us and working on ensuring our safety and we shall leave as soon as possible, when our flight gets scheduled," the team's media officer, Matilda Dzifo Dimedo, told Africa.
"But for the meantime as we wait for the schedule, we will train and play the last match in a safe space," she added.
