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| WAFCON Trophy |
The move marks a major step forward in CAF’s ongoing commitment to enhance the competitiveness, visibility, and global standing of women’s football across the continent.
Since the qualification phase for the 2026 tournament had already been concluded under the 12-team format, CAF’s Executive Committee approved a ranking-based mechanism to fill the additional four spots. The top four teams, according to the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, that were eliminated in the final round of qualifiers have now been selected to join the tournament.
Those teams are:
Cameroon (66th in the FIFA rankings)
Côte d’Ivoire (71st)
Mali (79th)
Egypt (95th)
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They will now complete the 16-nation lineup for WAFCON Morocco 2026, joining the previously qualified countries: Morocco (hosts), Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.
CAF’s expansion move aligns with its strategic vision to further develop women’s football infrastructure, enhance competition levels, and inspire participation across all member associations.
“This decision reflects our commitment to ensuring that more nations experience the highest level of African women’s football,” CAF said in a statement. “It is a key step in empowering the women’s game and expanding its reach globally.”
The TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 will also serve as the African qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, to be hosted in Brazil. The expanded format provides more opportunities for African nations to compete for a spot on the global stage and showcase the rising standards of women’s football across the continent.
With growing talent, stronger investment, and increasing fan interest, the WAFCON 2026 promises to be the biggest and most competitive edition yet — a new era for African women’s football.
