WAFCON 2026: Harambee Starlets to learn of their group opponents on Thursday
By Luke Oluoch, January 9, 2026The final draw for the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 will be held in Rabat on Thursday, 15 January 2025.
The continental showdown will run from March 17, 2026, to April 2, in Morocco.
CAF has also confirmed that the event will be held alongside the awards for Women’s Coach of the Year and continental football achievers.
Postponed
CAF will announce the winners in the three Women’s award categories: CAF Women’s Coach of the Year, CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year, and CAF Women’s Club of the Year.
These awards were initially planned for the CAF Awards 2025 but were postponed due to the extension of the women’s football season caused by the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League.
Kenya, which will be returning to the continental games after a nine-year wait, will be placed in Pot Four alongside Tanzania, Malawi Scorchers, and debutants Cape Verde.
Hosts Morocco and defending champions Nigeria will be joined by Africa’s most improved Women’s National Team, Zambia, in Pot One.
The 2026 edition will feature an expanded 16-team field for the first time after Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, and Mali were added to the qualified teams through FIFA rankings.
Beldine Odemba’s charges qualified after edging The Gambia 4-1 on aggregate on Wednesday, October 28, 2025, sealing their second-ever appearance in the women’s championship.
Kenya had previously featured in the tournament in 2019 under David Ouma, where they got eliminated in the group stages.
Qualifying path
The 15th edition of Africa’s biggest women’s football stage comes with increased stakes as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifying path for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Four teams will reach the semifinal, earning direct entry to the World Cup in a couple of years. Additionally, the two best-ranked quarterfinalists will proceed to a playoff path to determine an additional winner to join the expected five slots reserved for African teams.
WAFCON 2026 Teams
1. Morocco (Host) (5th Appearance)
2. Algeria (7th Appearance)
3. Burkina Faso (2nd Appearance)
4. Cape Verde (Debutant)
5. Ghana (12th Appearance)
6. Kenya (2nd Appearance)
7. Malawi (Debutant)
8. Nigeria (14th Appearance)
9. Senegal (4th Appearance)
10. South Africa (14th Appearance)
11. Tanzania (3rd Appearance)
12. Zambia (5th Appearance)