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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) finals will expand from 12 to 16 teams, starting with the 2026 edition.
The tournament scheduled for next year in Morocco was planned to feature 12 teams, and the qualification process for the finals has now progressed to the second and final round.
“I am pleased with the progress we’ve made in women’s African football,” CAF President Patrice Motsepe said.
This expansion necessitates an additional round of qualifiers, with 11 countries vying for four available spots.
CAF is expected to provide more details following discussions at its executive committee meeting, currently taking place in Kinshasa.
WAFCON began as an eight-team competition in its inaugural edition in 1998, expanding to 12 teams for the finals in Ghana in 2018.
The 2020 edition of Wafcon was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the tournament made a comeback in 2022 with 12 participants.
CAF has made investments aimed at enhancing women’s football across the continent, with this year’s tournament in Morocco witnessing a 45% rise in the overall prize money to $3.45 million (£2.6 million).
“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 focusing on a lot.” Motsepe added.
The champions, Nigeria, received $1 million (£750,000) after securing their 10th Wafcon title.
