The countdown has begun for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with the continent’s biggest women’s football competition set to kick off on July 26, 2026, in Rabat, Morocco. The tournament will run until August 16, 2026, when the final will also be played in the Moroccan capital. Beyond the continental crown, teams will compete for qualification to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and a record prize of $1 million for the champions.
The 2026 edition will be the biggest Women’s AFCON ever organised, featuring 16 teams for the first time. The participating nations have been divided into four groups of four teams. Matches will be played across two Moroccan cities: Rabat and Casablanca.
Key dates and fixtures
Opening match: Algeria vs Senegal
The tournament will officially begin on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the Rabat Olympic Stadium.
The opening fixture will see Algeria face Senegal at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT).
Later the same day, hosts Morocco will make their debut against Kenya at 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT) at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
Group stage highlights
Several high-profile clashes are expected during the group phase:
- Nigeria vs Zambia – August 1 (Group C)
- Ghana vs Cameroon – August 2 (Group D)
Knockout stage schedule
- Quarter-finals: August 8 and 9
- Semi-finals: Wednesday, August 12 in Rabat
- Play-off matches for World Cup qualification: Thursday, August 13 in Casablanca
- Third-place match: Saturday, August 15 at the Rabat Olympic Stadium
- Final: Sunday, August 16 at 20:00 in Rabat
The teams eliminated in the quarter-finals will still have a chance to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup through the play-off matches.
WAFCON 2026 Groups
Group A (Rabat)
🇲🇦 Morocco
🇩🇿 Algeria
🇸🇳 Senegal
🇰🇪 Kenya
Group B (Casablanca)
🇿🇦 South Africa
🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
🇹🇿 Tanzania
Group C (Rabat)
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇿🇲 Zambia
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇲🇼 Malawi
Group D (Casablanca)
🇬🇭 Ghana
🇨🇲 Cameroon
🇲🇱 Mali
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
With Africa’s top women’s football nations set to compete on Moroccan soil, the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations promises to be a landmark tournament in the growth of the women’s game on the continent.
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