CAF Expands Women’s AFCON To 16 Teams Ahead of 2026 Morocco Tournament

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will now feature 16 teams instead of 12, starting from the 2026 edition in Morocco. The tournament will be held from March 17 to April 3, 2026.

In a statement released on Wednesday, CAF said the change is part of its plan to make women’s football in Africa stronger and more competitive.

Since the qualification matches for 2026 have already been completed, CAF has chosen four extra teams based on their

FIFA Women’s World Rankings. These teams are:
Cameroon (66th)
Côte d’Ivoire (71st)
Mali (79th)
Egypt (95th)

They will join the 12 countries that already qualified: Morocco (hosts), Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.

CAF explained that the expansion will give more African teams a chance to play at a high level and increase the visibility of women’s football worldwide.

The 2026 WAFCON will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.