CAF President Patrice Motsepe has disclosed that the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will not be postponed and that the governing body is ensuring the tournament takes place.
Speaking during a press conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, today, Motsepe was asked about the status of WAFCON following reports that Morocco is set to withdraw from hosting the tournament.
Motsepe responded that: “The WAFCON continues. There are discussions taking place. There are a lot of competitions. You know Morocco came to assist because there were many countries that wanted to host, but because we didn’t have time, our standards were very high, so there are still many, many countries that are interested.”
He continued: “As we speak now, we still have an engagement with Morocco. Some of the countries said, ‘Please, can we host it?’ but they want to change the dates. We can’t change the dates because it’s one of those qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup, so the WAFCON continues; it’s going to be successful, and we will make sure that it takes place within that window.”
Why Uncertainty Around Host?
Following the 2025 AFCON final, Morocco was reportedly planning to withdraw from hosting the WAFCON, which kicks off from 17 March to 3 April.
South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Sport, Peace Mabe, earlier this month announced that they had taken over the hosting rights from Morocco, before the statement was corrected by Minister Gayton McKenzie, who clarified that discussions with CAF were still ongoing, but no final decision had been reached.
Meanwhile, Motsepe also dismissed reports that there are considerations to postpone the 2027 AFCON because Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania—who are supposed to host it—are not ready.
“We will announce the dates for the 2027 AFCON, but it will be played between June and July in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania,” Motsepe told reporters.
READ ALSO: South Africa Clarifies Position on 2026 WAFCON Hosting
