CAF reveals the calendar for WAFCON 2026 in Morocco

Abayomi Ademola

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially published the match schedule for the 2026 African Women’s Cup of Nations, the tournament of which will begin on July 26 in Morocco.

In the opening match, Algeria will face Senegal at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, while hosts Morocco will face Kenya later in the day at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.

CAF confirmed that group stage matches will be played on separate days, and that all final group matches will start simultaneously at 9:00 pm to ensure fairness in qualification scenarios.

At the end of the group stage, the two best teams in each group will qualify for the quarterfinals. The competition also serves as part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the four quarter-final winners securing automatic qualification.

The losing quarterfinalists will still have another chance to reach the World Cup through additional playoff matches scheduled for August 13, with the winners advancing to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Intercontinental qualifying playoffs.

The semifinals will be played on August 12, while the third place match is set for August 15. The final of the tournament will be played on August 16.

The Nigerian Super Falcons come into the tournament as defending champions and will look to extend their dominance on the continent by retaining the title in Morocco.