Africa’s Premier Women’s Football Tournament Kicks Off in 30 Days

In 30 days, Africa’s premier women’s football competition, the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026, will begin in Rabat. The opening match is scheduled for 26 July at Moulay El Hassan Stadium, where hosts Morocco will face Kenya from East Africa at 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT). Earlier that day, Algeria will meet Senegal in the other Group A fixture at Rabat’s Olympic Stadium, with a 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT) kick-off.

Now in its 14th edition, the tournament reflects the significant progress made in women’s football across the continent, supported by CAF’s strategic commitment to increased investment in the women’s game. The prize money for winners has risen from USD 150,000 to USD 1 million over the past five years under CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe.

This year’s edition marks a historic milestone with the tournament expanding from 12 to 16 participating nations for the first time. The expansion forms part of CAF’s broader women’s football strategy to strengthen the game through increased participation opportunities, enhanced competition structures and greater investment across the continent.

The 16 teams qualified for TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 are: Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria (defending champions), Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

The competition will be held across Rabat and Casablanca, utilising five CAF-approved venues: Stade Moulay El Hassan, Stade Al Madina and Stade Olympique in Rabat, along with Stade Larbi Zaouli and Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca.

Nigeria enters the tournament seeking to retain the title after winning a record-extending tenth continental crown at the previous edition. Strong competition is expected from across the continent, including hosts Morocco, former champions South Africa, traditional powerhouses such as Cameroon, and emerging contenders including Algeria, Zambia, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

Adding further significance, the finals will serve as Africa’s qualification tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027. The four quarter-final winners will secure automatic qualification, while teams eliminated at that stage remain in contention through the FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off pathway.

With continued investment in women’s football across Africa and the growing competitiveness of national teams, TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 is expected to be one of the most closely contested editions in the tournament’s history.

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