The Confederation of African Football says it will announce a decision within the next 48 hours regarding the staging of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
CAF Director of Communications, Lux September, confirmed that discussions have been ongoing for weeks amid uncertainty over the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from March 17 to April 3.
“CAF will communicate within the next 48 hours on the situation regarding the #TotalEnergiesWAFCON26,” September said on X. “There have been several discussions for weeks. The matter is receiving urgent and high-level attention.”
The competition also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the four semifinalists securing automatic places at the global event.
Reports indicate that Morocco has informed CAF it may be unable to host the tournament at the scheduled time but is willing to remain the host if the event is moved to later in the year, with August mentioned as a possible alternative window.
South Africa had earlier indicated readiness to step in as hosts if required. However, under CAF regulations, Morocco could be disqualified from the tournament should it withdraw from hosting duties.
A similar situation occurred when Ivory Coast withdrew from hosting the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations last year, and Egypt stepped in to stage the tournament.
If disqualified, Morocco would miss the opportunity to compete for one of the four World Cup qualification spots despite significant investment in women’s football in recent years.
The expanded tournament will feature a record 16 teams, including defending champions Nigeria, 2022 winners South Africa, bronze medallists Ghana and debutants Kenya.
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