The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will expand from 12 to 16 teams starting from the 2026 edition, Afrosport reports.
Next year’s tournament in Morocco was initially set to feature 12 nations, and qualifying has already reached the second and final round. However, the expansion means a third qualifying round may be introduced, with 11 teams expected to compete for the remaining four spots.
CAF will release further details after its executive committee meeting currently taking place in Kinshasa.
The WAFCON was initially an eight-team competition from its first edition in 1998 until 2018, before expanding to 12 teams in 2022 after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
CAF has been actively investing in women’s football, with the 2024 WAFCON in Morocco seeing a 45% increase in prize money to $3.45 million.
Champions Nigeria received $1 million for their record-extending 10th title won in July following a historic 3-2 comeback win over hosts Morocco.
“I am pleased with the progress we’ve made in women’s African football,” CAF president Patrice Motsepe said. “Part of my starting point is making sure [men and women] are paid well and they can make a career out of football.
“I can assure you women’s football will continue to improve because that is an area we are focussing on a lot.”
The 2026 WAFCON will also act as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the top four teams earning a place at the global showpiece.
