WAFCON 2026 Postponed
WAFCON 2026 has been postponed ⚽️🌍
Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) have made the announcement that the tournament, due to kick off on the 17th March in Morocco 🇲🇦, has been postponed and will now take place on 25 July – 16 August 2026.
No clear reason has been given for this delay, however, following the 2025 AFCON finals, there were reports that Morocco was no longer interested in hosting the upcoming WAFCON. This seemed to be supported by South Africa’s Deputy Sports Minister Peace Mabe, who told reporters the country was ready and willing to host the tournament in place of Morocco (although her comments were later walked back by the Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie).
This year’s WAFCON is particularly important, as it also serves as the qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil 🇧🇷.
It is unfortunate that this announcement has come so close to the initial kick off date. In addition, it is a reminder of how malleable Africa tournaments are expected to be. Let’s remember:
⚽️🌍 2024 WAFCON actually took place in 2025 due to clashing with the Olympics.
⚽️🌍 2025 AFCON that kicked off in December was actually supposed to take place last summer, but was postponed due to a clash with FIFA’s Club World Cup.
⚽️🌍 AFCON was moved from even numbered years to odd numbered years in 2013 due to. It is notable that AFCON launched in 1957, and moved to even numbered years in 1962 before being changed in 2013.
⚽️🌍 AFCON was being moved to ‘summer months’ due to clashes with the European leagues. Yet the 2023 tournament had to move back to January due to the reason ‘summer months’ have always been avoided - it is rainy season across most of Africa.
⚽️🌍 AFCON is now being moved to a quadrennial tournament, something that has been rejected for years, and again apparently to appease the European and International sporting calendars. AFCON has been played biennially since 1957.
It also serves as a caution against a hosts’ monopoly. Morocco 🇲🇦 hosted the 2024 WAFCON, 2025 AFCON, 2024 and 2025 CAF Awards. Given that the last time Morocco hosted AFCON was 1988, arguments that it is the only country with the infrastructure to host these tournaments and events are inaccurate.
These are some of the best tournaments in the world, and we need to ensure they are treated as such.
What are your thoughts?