The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially expanded the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) from 12 to 16 teams, effective immediately with the next edition scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026.
CAF’s Executive Committee approved the decision as part of its broader strategy to enhance the development and competitiveness of women’s football across the continent. The governing body stated that the expansion will provide more nations with the opportunity to participate at the highest level and promote the continued growth of the women’s game in Africa.
Qualification Mechanism and New Participants
Since the qualification process for the 2026 tournament had already concluded, CAF adopted a special mechanism to select the four additional teams.
Using the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, the four highest-ranked teams that were eliminated in the final qualifying round have been added to the final list of participants.
The Four Newly Added Teams:
- Cameroon (66th)
- Côte d’Ivoire (71st)
- Mali (79th)
- Egypt (95th)
Complete List of WAFCON 2026 Participants:
The newly added nations will join the 12 countries that had already secured their spots:
- Host Nation: Morocco
- Qualified Teams: Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.
Global Stage Implications
CAF noted that the 2026 WAFCON will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, providing an expanded and crucial platform for African women’s football on the global stage.
Source: CAF
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