While the men’s African Cup of Nations will begin in a little over a month, the women’s CAN will take place from March 17 to April 3, 2026, also in Morocco. And while the qualifiers are over and we know the 12 qualified nations, CAF has decided to change the rules.
Indeed, the African football body announced via a press release that the number of selections entered would increase from 12 to 16. There are therefore four countries which will come to play the tournament on Moroccan soil even though they had initially been eliminated during the qualifications.
“ The executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) approved the expansion of the African Women’s Cup of Nations (Women’s CAN) from 12 to 16 teams, starting with the next edition which will be held in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026 “, informed CAF.
CAF explains
To select these four additional nations, CAF based itself on the Fifa ranking. Thus, Egypt (95th in the world), Mali (79th), Ivory Coast (71st) and Cameroon (66th) will be there. They are added to Morocco (host country), Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa and Senegal.
“This decision is part of CAF’s strategic vision aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and development of women’s football on the continent. It will allow more nations to participate in the flagship competition of African women’s football, thus contributing to its growth and international influence. », justified the CAF, which was not spared from criticism after this controversial decision.
