Overview
- The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations begins on Sunday and runs until August 16 with 16 teams playing across five venues in Rabat and Casablanca.
- CAF has boosted financial rewards, doubling the champions' prize to $2 million and setting a total purse of $5.8 million while giving each team $150,000 in participation funding.
- The competition offers four automatic places at the 2027 Brazil FIFA Women's World Cup to the semi-finalists and sends losing quarter-finalists into classification matches to contest additional play-off slots.
- South Africa's squad is fully in camp in Casablanca with overseas players present and training, while defending champions Nigeria have named their squad but will miss defender Ashleigh Plumptre through injury.
- Morocco is hosting WAFCON for the third straight edition and the tournament's expansion and higher payouts reflect growing investment in African women's football alongside heightened interest in politically sensitive fixtures such as Morocco versus Algeria.