Sixteen teams are in Morocco for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), a tournament which also serves as the qualification competition for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
A record 16-nation line-up — up from 12 at the previous edition — will compete, with 10-time title-holders and defending champions Nigeria the team to beat.
There have been 13 WAFCON tournaments since 1998, and, apart from Nigeria, only Equatorial Guinea twice and South Africa once have been crowned champions.
Equatorial Guinea failed to qualify this time, while South Africa are the top seeds in Group B, where they will face Tanzania, the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
Morocco, losers as hosts to Nigeria and South Africa in the past two finals, face Algeria, Senegal and Kenya in Group A.
2026 WAFCON Fixtures
Below are the full fixtures for the 2026 WAFCON
| Stage / Group | Date | Matchup | Time (GMT) | Venue / Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | July 26 | Algeria vs Senegal | 17:00 | Rabat |
| Morocco vs Kenya | 20:00 | |||
| July 30 | Senegal vs Kenya | 17:00 | ||
| Morocco vs Algeria | 20:00 | |||
| August 3 | Senegal vs Morocco | 20:00 | ||
| Kenya vs Algeria | 20:00 | |||
| Group B | July 27 | South Africa vs Tanzania | 17:00 | Casablanca |
| Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso | 20:00 | |||
| July 31 | South Africa vs Ivory Coast | 17:00 | ||
| Burkina Faso vs Tanzania | 20:00 | |||
| August 4 | Burkina Faso vs South Africa | 20:00 | ||
| Tanzania vs Ivory Coast | 20:00 | |||
| Group C | July 28 | Zambia vs Egypt | 17:00 | Rabat |
| Nigeria vs Malawi | 20:00 | |||
| August 1 | Egypt vs Malawi | 17:00 | ||
| Nigeria vs Zambia | 20:00 | |||
| August 5 | Egypt vs Nigeria | 20:00 | ||
| Malawi vs Zambia | 20:00 | |||
| Group D | July 29 | Ghana vs Cape Verde | 17:00 | Casablanca |
| Cameroon vs Mali | 20:00 | |||
| August 2 | Ghana vs Cameroon | 17:00 | ||
| Mali vs Cape Verde | 20:00 | |||
| August 6 | Mali vs Ghana | 20:00 | ||
| Cape Verde vs Cameroon | 20:00 | |||
| Quarter-finals | August 8 | Winners Gr B vs Runners-up Gr A (QF2) | 17:00 | Casablanca |
| Winners Gr A vs Runners-up Gr B (QF1) | 20:00 | Rabat | ||
| August 9 | Winners Gr D vs Runners-up Gr C (QF4) | 17:00 | Casablanca | |
| Winners Gr C vs Runners-up Gr D (QF3) | 20:00 | Rabat | ||
| Play-offs | August 13 | Losers QF2 vs Losers QF3 | 17:00 | Casablanca |
| Losers QF1 vs Losers QF4 | 20:00 | |||
| Semi-finals | August 12 | Winners QF1 vs Winners QF4 | 17:00 | Rabat |
| Winners QF2 vs Winners QF3 | 20:00 | |||
| 3rd Place | August 15 | Semi-finals Losers | 17:00 | Rabat |
| Final | August 16 | Semi-finals Winners | 19:00 | Rabat |
WAFCON Past Winners (Title-Holders)
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Nigeria |
| 2000 | Nigeria |
| 2002 | Nigeria |
| 2004 | Nigeria |
| 2006 | Nigeria |
| 2008 | Equatorial Guinea |
| 2010 | Nigeria |
| 2012 | Equatorial Guinea |
| 2014 | Nigeria |
| 2016 | Nigeria |
| 2018 | Nigeria |
| 2020 | Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 2022 | South Africa |
| 2024 | Nigeria |
