WAFCON 2026 starts July 26 in Morocco; 16 teams chase continental title and World Cup spots

The Women's Africa Cup of Nations begins July 26 in Morocco and runs through August 16, according to ESPN's reporting. The tournament was delayed four and a half months before being confirmed in Morocco after rumors that South Africa would take over hosting rights did not materialize.

Sixteen teams will compete across four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. The groups are: Group A (Algeria, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal), Group B (Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Tanzania), Group C (Egypt, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia), and Group D (Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali).

Nigeria are the defending champions and are among the favorites, citing depth particularly in attacking positions, per ESPN's reporting. South Africa won the tournament in 2022 and retain many of the players from that triumph with the same head coach Desiree Ellis. Morocco lost the WAFCON finals on home soil in both 2022 and 2025, though the host nation has strong local women's football infrastructure.

Malawi feature two of the most talented attacking players in the world in Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga. Zambia's golden generation has players at peak powers with new talent emerging, referred to as the Copper Queens. Cameroon have historically performed well at WAFCON and are identified as a potential surprise package. Ghana's provisional squad includes Evelyn Badu, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Portia Boakye, and Grace Asantewaa. Ivory Coast have Rosemonde Kouassi in their ranks.

Key fixtures include Nigeria vs. Malawi on July 28, South Africa vs. Ivory Coast on July 31, Nigeria vs. Zambia on August 1, Ghana vs. Cameroon on August 2, and Malawi vs. Zambia on August 5.

Broadcasting rights have been secured by SABC, a South African free-to-air broadcaster, and Azam TV, an East African broadcaster. ESPN will provide live updates on key fixtures on its website.