Fakayejo Paul
CAIRO, EGYPT – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved a landmark expansion of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), increasing the number of participating teams from 12 to 16, effective immediately for the next edition.
The decision, which marks a major turning point for women’s football on the continent, was announced following a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee.
Expanding the Continental Stage
The expansion reflects CAF’s commitment to strengthening competitiveness and promoting inclusivity across African women’s football.
The new format aims to provide more nations the opportunity to compete at the highest continental level, thereby contributing to the sport’s global growth and visibility ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The next edition of the WAFCON, scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026, will be the first to feature the expanded 16-team line-up.
Reinstatement Based on FIFA Rankings
Since the qualification process had already been completed under the 12-team structure, CAF implemented a special mechanism to select the four additional participants to ensure fairness.
The slots were awarded to the four best-ranked teams according to the current FIFA Women’s World Ranking among those eliminated in the final qualifying round.
This mechanism has granted a significant reprieve to four traditional African football powerhouses:
- Cameroon (ranked 66th globally)
- Côte d’Ivoire (ranked 71st globally)
- Mali (ranked 79th globally)
- Egypt (ranked 95th globally)
These nations will now join the 12 teams that had already qualified on the pitch, including defending champions Nigeria, hosts Morocco, and South Africa.
World Cup Qualification at Stake
The WAFCON 2026 holds added significance as it will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The top four finishers at the continental tournament will secure automatic berths for the global event, with additional slots potentially available through inter-confederation play-offs.
The expansion to 16 teams is seen as a key step in helping more African nations consolidate their growing influence on the world stage.