The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, just days before the tournament was scheduled to begin. The competition, initially set to kick off on March 17, has now been rescheduled to take place from July 25 to August 16, CAF announced on Thursday.
In a brief statement, CAF said the decision was taken due to “certain unforeseen circumstances,” although the governing body did not provide further details explaining the delay.
The postponement comes as several national teams had already arrived in Morocco in preparation for the tournament. The competition also serves as Africa’s qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with six slots available for African teams.
Nigeria will enter the competition as the defending champions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Morocco has increasingly positioned itself as a major football host nation in Africa. The country previously staged the men’s AFCON, where Senegal defeated the hosts in the final on January 18. And it is also set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain.