# Missing a major football tournament? Fear not, Wafcon 2026 is about to start

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/missing-a-major-football-tournament-fear-not-wafcon-2026-is-about-to-start/
- Published: 2026-07-25T11:00:40+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-25T11:34:12+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/25/wafcon-2026-womens-africa-cup-nations-guide
- Topics: Africa, Art, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Football, Sport, World

## Key points

- Wafcon 2026 starts in Morocco on 26 July.
- The tournament expands to 16 teams for the first time.
- Nigeria aim to win an 11th continental title.

## Summary

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations begins in Morocco on 26 July, offering a major international tournament immediately after the men’s World Cup. The 34-match competition is significant both for expanding the women’s game across Africa and for giving leading sides such as Nigeria another opportunity to compete for continental honours.

Originally scheduled for March and April, the tournament was postponed shortly before kick-off for unspecified reasons and will now run until 16 August in Rabat and Casablanca. It is the first edition with 16 teams, although four were added after qualifying through rankings; Cape Verde and Malawi make their debuts, while Nigeria, the 2025 champions, are favourites to win a record-extending 11th title.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.