Lack of clarity around WAFCON postponement causes speculation and player suffering

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When an organisation postpones an event due to “unforeseen circumstances” and offers little else information, it allows anyone with an interest in the development to fill in the gap with their own reasoning.

In the instance of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to move the tournament from its original March date to a summer date just 12 days before it was due to start in Morocco.

The move is reminiscent of a similar situation when Morocco hosted the 2024 WAFCON in 2025. The 2024 edition conflicted with the Paris Olympics, which included Zambia and Nigeria, and there was concern that the tournament would be postponed or cancelled. CAF finally announced it was moving the 2024 WAFCON on by a year, just two weeks before the 2024 tournament was set to begin.

In a statement published on Thursday afternoon, it was not clear whether Morocco will remain as host during the new July-to-August schedule for the 2026 tournament, which also doubles as CAF 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification.

Reports of a rescheduling accelerated late last week and figures connected to South African football have since reminded that the country is prepared to step in if Morocco does not fulfil its commitment.

Peace Mabe, a Member of the South African Assembly, said in February, during an awards ceremony for the HollywoodBets Super League, that the nation was stepping in to host the tournament. The country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, later clarified his deputy’s comments, saying that “no formal decision has been taken to relocate” WAFCON.

This suggestion came barely a week after the men’s version of the competition concluded in chaos, leading to charges by CAF against the football federations of Morocco and Senegal. Morocco publicly rejected sanctions imposed by CAF’s disciplinary committee, which included a fine of $315,000 for misconduct by players, officials and supporters, and handed suspensions to players Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari in CAF competitions.

All of this might suggest a power play by Morocco, which, over the last five years, has been supportive of CAF events that other countries struggle to afford, including WAFCON, which it hosted most recently last summer. In fact, Morocco was previously awarded hosting rights for the 2022, 2024 and 2026 women’s tournaments.


This has led to an impression forming about the reach of Morocco’s influence across African football. What it gives can easily be taken away, but it will not have to if CAF, or the other nations that use Morocco’s facilities because their own don’t meet FIFA standards, become reliant on them.

Views about Moroccan power may have influenced Senegalese reactions at the men’s final in Rabat in January, when the team walked off, delaying a contentiously awarded VAR penalty kick by 11 minutes that would have won Morocco their first AFCON title in half a century, only moments after a Senegalese goal was scrubbed off without officials on the pitch leaning on the same technology.

These are only theories, of course, but The Athletic’s repeated attempts to seek clarity from CAF about the reasons behind “unforeseen circumstances” in relation to WAFCON that have taken more than a month to unravel have not been met with a response, and this has only added to the sense of opacity.

Until someone explains otherwise, theories such as this one will continue to circulate, adding to the sense of distrust.

Reports in Morocco as far back as five weeks ago suggested CAF were aware of challenges around stadium availability for WAFCON due to the relaunch of the men’s Botola Pro championship following a break during AFCON. Various men’s teams were also playing friendlies in Morocco towards the end of March. Given that Morocco tends to present itself as being ahead of other countries in the region, a lack of farsightedness over such a basic issue is highly unusual.

Morocco will co-host the men’s World Cup in four years. While the decision to postpone WAFCON poses questions about the country’s commitment to women’s football, it should also lead to questions about its ability to organise. AFCON 2025 was lauded by those in charge of it, particularly the CAF president, Patrice Motsepe, who marvelled at the facilities across the country. Yet the experience was not perfect, as evidenced by the problems experienced by supporters in Marrakech, where much will have to improve if 2030 is to be remembered more widely through the lens that the authorities already seem to see things.

As for CAF, there is damage in all sorts of ways. Motsepe spent much of AFCON saying how important it was to have sponsors on board, especially as he transitions the tournament from one that is held every two years to four. From here, why would any sponsor or indeed broadcaster want to back WAFCON, which has been moved from its position at the last moment to another, just after the conclusion of the men’s World Cup in North America?

Ultimately, it is women who suffer the most here. That’s the players, those who have lost money like fans and journalists, and the women’s game as a whole, one that in Africa — without explanation — is being shoved around and into a corner, like it doesn’t really matter.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

International Football, NWSL, Women's Soccer, FIFA Women's World Cup

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