Women’s AFCON postponed at 11th hour

The ​Confederation of African Football (CAF) released a statement on its website on Thursday announcing that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) would not kick off in Morocco on March 17 as planned. Instead, it is to be moved to the summer.

“After discussions between CAF and its partners, ​FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026, to 25 July – 16 August ​2026 to ensure the success of this important women’s competition,” the statement read.

CAF failed to give a reason for the move, referring only to “certain unforeseen circumstances.”

At the same time it sought to strike a positive note, saying: “Preparations for ​the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway and all the parties are confident that it will be ​very successful.”

The announcement comes almost three weeks after CAF President Patrice Motsepe had ruled out any change to the schedule, as the tournament also doubles as a qualifying event for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Still, rumors had persisted for weeks that hosts Morocco were looking to get out of its commitment to host the tournament, and at one point, South Africa‘s deputy minister of sport said her country would step in as a replacement. This was later denied by South Africa’s sports minister.

As things stand now, Morocco is still slated to host the tournament – just a few months later than planned. Morocco will be hosting the WAFCON for a third consecutive time.

Edited by: Matt Pearson