WAFCON 2026 Preview: Groups, Favorites and What to Watch

The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations returns to Morocco from July 26 to August 16, four months later than originally scheduled after the tournament was postponed from its planned March start due to what organizers described only as “unforeseen circumstances.” What arrives instead is the biggest edition in the competition’s history — a 16-team field, direct 2027 World Cup qualification on the line, and a host nation aiming to make history of its own.

A Tournament Reshaped

This year’s WAFCON carries structural changes that go well beyond the delayed start date. The Confederation of African Football expanded the field from 12 to 16 teams after qualification had already concluded, filling the additional places with the highest-ranked sides that had originally fallen short in the second qualifying round. That expansion brings Cape Verde and Malawi to the tournament for the very first time, while Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tunisia — all of whom featured in 2024 — missed out on the newly enlarged field entirely.UEFA Conference League Qualifying Roundup: 98 Teams Chase a Way Through

Morocco’s hosting duties also came under brief public confusion earlier this year, when a South African government minister announced her country would take over as host before Moroccan officials confirmed the tournament would proceed in Morocco as planned. With that settled, Morocco becomes the first nation in the competition’s history to host three consecutive editions, having also staged the 2022 and 2025 tournaments. The original plan to use Fez as a fourth host city was shelved as well, with matches now split between five venues across just two cities — three in Rabat and two in Casablanca — as the country’s football infrastructure focus shifts toward preparations for co-hosting the men’s 2030 World Cup.

The Groups

The 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four, with the top two from each advancing to the quarterfinals before the competition switches to a straight knockout format:

Group A: Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
Group B: South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
Group C: Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
Group D: Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde

Group A carries obvious home-nation intrigue, with Morocco opening the tournament against Kenya while Algeria and Senegal meet in the other opening fixture — a rematch, in spirit, of the fraught 2025 men’s Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and hosts… though it’s Senegal, not Algeria, that gives Moroccan fans a specific measure of revenge to look forward to given that men’s final result. Group B has its own logistical quirk worth watching: South Africa will remain in Casablanca for all three of their group matches, while Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania shuttle back and forth to Rabat, a scheduling detail that could offer the Group B favorites a subtle but real advantage.

The Favorites

Nigeria arrive as defending champions after a stunning comeback in last year’s final, overturning a two-goal deficit to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 and extend their record as Africa’s most successful women’s national team. Twenty members of that title-winning squad return for this edition, giving the Super Falcons a continuity few of their rivals can match. Ghana, Zambia and Morocco round out the group of pre-tournament favorites, with Zambia in particular boasting real individual firepower in Racheal Kundananji and Barbra Banda.

Players to Watch

Beyond the Zambian duo, Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade — named best player of the 2024 tournament — remains the standard-bearer for the reigning champions. Malawi’s Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, add star power to a tournament debutant squad, with Temwa’s club career at NWSL side Kansas City Current giving her a level of international visibility few of her Malawian teammates share. Cape Verde’s own presence at the tournament arrives on the back of genuine national momentum, coming shortly after the country’s men’s team reached the last 32 at the 2026 World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history.

What’s at Stake Beyond the Trophy

For the first time, WAFCON doubles as continental qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with all four semifinalists securing automatic places. The four teams eliminated at the quarterfinal stage aren’t finished either — they’ll compete for two further intercontinental playoff spots, meaning every single knockout-stage match from the quarterfinals onward carries direct World Cup qualification stakes on top of the continental title itself.

How to Watch

Coverage varies by region: SuperSport (DStv) holds Sub-Saharan African rights and will broadcast all 34 matches, beIN Sports covers North Africa and the Middle East, and New World TV carries the tournament across much of French-speaking Africa.

The Bottom Line

Between the expanded field, the direct World Cup qualification stakes, and a host nation chasing an unprecedented third consecutive staging of the tournament, WAFCON 2026 arrives with more riding on it than any previous edition. Nigeria’s continuity makes them the team to beat, but with 16 teams now competing for a spot in the knockout rounds — and two Brazilian-bound tickets available even for quarterfinal losers — this looks set to be the most competitively meaningful edition of the tournament CAF has ever staged.

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