Africa’s biggest women’s football tournament is edging closer, with the countdown officially on for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The tournament opens on July 26 in Rabat, where hosts Morocco will take on Kenya at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in front of what is expected to be a packed home crowd, in a match kicking off at 9:00 p.m. local time. Earlier the same day, Algeria and Senegal will meet in the other Group A fixture at Rabat’s Olympic Stadium.
This edition marks a genuine turning point for the women’s game on the continent. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the field has grown from 12 to 16 teams, giving more nations a shot at continental glory and reflecting the steady investment African football’s governing body has made in the women’s side of the sport in recent years.
The expanded lineup features a mix of established powerhouses and newcomers. Hosts Morocco and defending champions Nigeria headline a field that also includes South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Senegal, Mali, Malawi, Burkina Faso, and Cape Verde. Matches will be staged across venues in Rabat and Casablanca, giving fans across multiple cities the chance to take in the action live.
Beyond continental bragging rights, this year’s competition carries extra weight because it doubles as a qualifying pathway to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The four teams that reach the semifinals will punch their tickets automatically, while sides eliminated at the quarterfinal stage still get a second chance through a separate World Cup play-off route.
Morocco enters the tournament as hosts for an unprecedented third consecutive time, underlining the country’s growing reputation as a reliable venue for major African football events — a role it is also expected to lean on as co-host of the 2030 men’s World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
With a bigger format, a stacked field of contenders, and World Cup qualification on the line, this edition of WAFCON is shaping up to be one of the most significant chapters yet in the growth of women’s football across Africa.
