CAF Expands Women’s Africa Cup of Nations to 16 Teams from 2026
The Executive Committee of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has approved increasing the number of teams in the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) from 12 to 16, starting with the next edition scheduled in Morocco from 17 March to 3 April 2026.
Selection of Additional Teams
Since the qualification phase for the 2026 tournament is already complete, the Committee adopted a mechanism to add four more teams. Based on the current FIFA Women's World Rankings, the top four teams eliminated in the final qualifying round will be included. These teams are:
- Cameroon (66th in FIFA ranking)
- Cote d’Ivoire (71st)
- Mali (79th)
Teams Already Qualified
These newly added teams will join the 12 nations already qualified:
- Morocco (host country)
- Zambia
- Tanzania
- Malawi
- Algeria
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- Burkina Faso
- Kenya
- Cape Verde
- South Africa
- Senegal
Strategic Vision and Impact
This expansion aligns with CAF's strategy to boost the competitiveness and growth of women’s football across Africa. Increasing participation in the continent's premier women's football tournament is expected to foster development and widen its global influence.
The TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON also serves as the continental qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
Author's summary: CAF's expansion of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations to 16 teams in 2026 reflects its commitment to advancing women's football across Africa and increasing the tournament's global stature.