The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed plans to enlarge its flagship women’s competition. The TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will grow from 12 to 16 participating teams.
This new, expanded format will debut at the 2026 edition, which is scheduled to be hosted by Morocco between March 17 and April 3, 2026.
CAF released a statement on Wednesday. The governing body affirmed that this move is consistent with its overarching strategy.
This strategy aims to enhance competitive balance and significantly speed up the development of women’s football throughout Africa.
Mechanism for Final Four Selections
The qualification stage for the 2026 tournament was already finished. Therefore, the CAF Executive Committee had to endorse a unique selection process to choose the four new teams.
The selection method relied on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. The four highest-ranked teams that were eliminated during the final qualification round were chosen. They will complete the roster of participants.
The four nations now joining the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 finals are:
- Cameroon (ranked 66th)
- Côte d’Ivoire (ranked 71st)
- Mali (ranked 79th)
- Egypt (ranked 95th)
These four teams will merge with the dozen nations that had already qualified. Those include Morocco (the host nation), Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.
Boosting Continental and Global Visibility
CAF indicated that the expanded size is expected to offer numerous advantages. More African nations will gain vital experience on the continental stage. Furthermore, this increased participation will dramatically raise the global profile of women’s football originating from Africa.
The 2026 WAFCON competition will also serve a secondary, crucial purpose. It will function as the official qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. That global competition is set to be hosted in Brazil.
READ ALSO: Tottenham Star Destiny Udogie Targeted in London Incident
