The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a major boost for women’s football, confirming that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will expand from 12 to 16 teams starting with the 2026 edition.
Next year’s tournament in Morocco was originally scheduled to feature 12 nations, with qualifiers already in the second and final round. However, CAF said the new format would ‘likely introduce a third preliminary round,’ where 11 countries will compete for the remaining four spots to complete the expanded lineup.
Further details on the qualification process and competition structure will be revealed after CAF’s Executive Committee meeting in Kinshasa.
Since its inception in 1998, WAFCON featured eight teams until the 2018 edition in Ghana. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before returning in 2022 with 12 participating teams.
CAF said the expansion underscores its ‘growing investment and commitment to the development of women’s football across Africa.’
At the 2022 WAFCON in Morocco, CAF increased the prize pool by 45% to $3.45 million, with champions Nigeria receiving $1 million after winning a record-extending 10th title.
‘I am pleased with the progress we’ve made in women’s African football,’ Caf president Patrice Motsepe said.
‘Part of my starting point is making sure [men and women] are paid well and they can make a career out of football.
‘I can assure you women’s football will continue to improve because that is an area we are focussing on a lot.’