CAF pushes Morocco’s hosting of WAFCON from March to July-August

March 6 – The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which had been due to kick off on March 17, has been postponed to the summer.

On Thursday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the decision to move back the finals after weeks of media reports and mounting speculation over the host status.

The statement failed to mention host nation Morocco, but didn’t mention a switch of host nation either.

The premier women’s tournament on the continent will now kick off on July 25 and conclude on August 16.

“After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates … to ensure the success of this important women’s competition in the light of certain unforeseen circumstances,” CAF said.

The statement added that preparations for the tournament are “underway and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful.”

In November, CAF expanded the tournament to 16 teams, which allowed Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali and Egypt to qualify for the finals, but also put an extra strain on host nation Morocco, who have staged the previous two editions of the tournament.

Morocco has long been a political powerhouse in the African game, underlined by a drive to host major finals, including the recent Africa Cup of Nations and editions of the Club World Cup. In 2030, the North African country will co-host the World Cup and is keen to stage the final.

However, the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Rabat descended into chaos after Senegal’s players walked off in protest against a penalty decision.

South Africa had previously offered to take over WAFCON hosting duties with the country’s sports minister blasting Morocco.

The tournament doubles up as 2027 World Cup qualifying in Africa.

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