The path to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will be revealed next Thursday as the official draw ceremony takes place in Rabat, Morocco.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has scheduled the event for January 15, setting the stage for the 16-team tournament.
This edition marks a significant milestone as the first WAFCON to feature 16 nations, an expansion from the previous 12-team format.
Ghana’s Black Queens, who secured a bronze medal at the last tournament by defeating South Africa on penalties, enter the draw as a top-seeded team in Pot 1.
This favourable seeding is a result of Ghana finishing 2025 as the third-highest-ranked team on the African continent.
Morocco will host the competition for the second consecutive time, aiming to build on the success of the 2024 edition, which was won by Nigeria. The full list of qualified teams includes the hosts Morocco, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Beyond determining the group stage matchups, the tournament carries immense importance as it will serve as the African qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The draw ceremony in Rabat is set to begin at 13:00 GMT.
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