The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has expanded the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) from 12 to 16 teams, starting in 2026.
CAF announced the decision in a communiqué issued on November 3, confirming that its Executive Committee had approved the tournament’s enlargement to enhance participation and competitiveness across Africa.
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The move follows the completion of qualifiers under the previous 12-team structure, which saw traditional powerhouses such as Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt miss out on qualification for the Morocco 2026 finals.
To ensure fairness, CAF stated that “the four best-ranked teams according to the current FIFA Women’s World Ranking, among those eliminated in the final qualifying round, will be selected to complete the list of 16 participating nations.”
Based on this rule, Cameroon (66th), Côte d’Ivoire (71st), Mali (79th), and Egypt (95th) have now secured reinstatement to join the 12 nations that qualified through the pitch.
The decision brings relief to Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses, who lost 3–1 on aggregate to Algeria in the final qualifying round, initially missing their second consecutive WAFCON finals.
Côte d’Ivoire were edged by Burkina Faso, Mali fell to Equatorial Guinea, and Egypt lost to Senegal after a hard-fought aggregate battle.
CAF emphasized that the expansion aligns with its long-term vision to strengthen women’s football and promote inclusivity across all regions of the continent.
The new 16-team format aims to provide more opportunities for national teams to compete and grow on the African stage.
The 2026 WAFCON, which also serves as the African qualifiers for the Brazil 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, will take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3.
It will mark the first-ever edition featuring 16 nations — a landmark step in the development of African women’s football.
Qualified Teams for 2026 WAFCON (Expanded Edition)
1. Morocco
2. Zambia
3. Tanzania
4. Malawi
5. Algeria
6. Nigeria
7. Ghana
8. Burkina Faso
9. Kenya
10. South Africa
11. Cape Verde
12. Senegal
13. Cameroon (Qualified – via favourable FIFA Ranking)
14. Côte D’Ivoire (Qualified via favourable FIFA Ranking
15. Mali (Qualified – via favourable FIFA Ranking)
16. Egypt (Qualified via favourable FIFA Ranking )
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