The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations opens in Morocco on 26 July with an expanded 16-team field, a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup at stake and increased attention on the growth of women’s football across the continent.
According to the Confederation of African Football, Algeria will face Senegal in the opening match at the Rabat Olympic Stadium at 18:00 local time. Hosts Morocco will play Kenya later the same evening at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium at 21:00.
The tournament runs until 16 August, with matches in Rabat and Casablanca. It is the first edition to feature 16 teams, divided into four groups of four.
A larger tournament and a bigger prize
CAF says the champions will receive US$1 million in prize money. The competition will also determine African qualification places for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, adding greater sporting and commercial significance to the expanded format.
Morocco, twice runners-up in 2022 and 2024, enter the tournament seeking a first continental title on home soil. Nigeria remain the competition’s most successful nation, while South Africa return as defending champions.
The four groups
- Group A: Morocco, Algeria, Senegal and Kenya
- Group B: South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Tanzania
- Group C: Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt and Malawi
- Group D: Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde
The quarter-finals are scheduled for 8 and 9 August, followed by the semi-finals on 12 August. Play-off matches for teams eliminated in the quarter-finals will be held on 13 August, while the final is scheduled for 16 August in Rabat.
A test beyond the pitch
The expanded tournament will also test the commercial progress of women’s football in Africa through attendance, broadcast reach, sponsorship visibility and the ability of participating teams to convert continental exposure into sustained investment at home.
CAF announced in March that the competition would run from 25 July to 16 August. Its later official match schedule confirms that the first matches will be played on 26 July. This article follows the final fixture schedule.
Sources and references
- CAF: WAFCON Morocco 2026 match schedule and kick-off times
- CAF: Countdown to the 26 July opening matches
- CAF: WAFCON Morocco 2026 tournament overview
Discover more from Towncrier Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
