By Maxwell Oyekunle
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will begin another quest for continental glory when the 2026 Total Energies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, kicks off in Morocco on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
The 14th edition of Africa’s premier women’s football competition will run until August 16, with a record 16 nations competing for the continental crown and qualification opportunities for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Nine-time African champions Nigeria headline Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi in what is widely regarded as one of the toughest groups of the tournament.
Defending champions South Africa are drawn in Group B with Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, while hosts Morocco will face Algeria, Senegal and Kenya in Group A.
Group D consists of Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde.
The competition opens in Rabat with hosts Morocco taking on Kenya, while Algeria face Senegal in the day’s other Group A fixture.
CAF says the expanded 16-team format reflects the rapid growth of women’s football across the continent, giving more countries the opportunity to compete at the highest level.
The group winners and runners-up will progress to the quarter-finals before the semi-finals and final determine Africa’s new champions.
For Nigeria, the tournament presents another opportunity to reinforce the Super Falcons’ dominance in African women’s football, while emerging powers such as South Africa, Morocco and Zambia will be aiming to end the West Africans’ long-standing supremacy.
The 2026 WAFCON is expected to showcase some of the continent’s finest female football talents as Africa’s top teams battle for continental honours over the next three weeks.
Follow us on Telegram and YouTube, and join our WhatsApp Update Group for more updates.
