The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Wednesday, 5 November, 2025 confirmed that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will expand from 12 to 16 teams starting from the 2026 edition taking place in Morocco, reports thegazellenews.com.
The continental football governing have thus restored four of the continent’s traditional powerhouses: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt, to the prestigious tournament after they were all beaten in the qualifying rounds.
The African football governing body, which announced this through a communiqué, said that its Executive Committee had approved the enlargement of the WAFCON “beginning with the next edition in 2026.”
CAF said the decision comes after the conclusion of the earlier qualification process under the 12-team structure, which had seen several big names miss out. To ensure fairness, CAF stated that “the four best-ranked teams according to the current FIFA Women’s World Ranking, among those eliminated in the final qualifying round, will be selected to complete the list of 16 participating teams.”
Consequently, Cameroon, ranked 66th globally; Côte d’Ivoire, 71st; Mali, 79th; and Egypt, 95th; have been reinstated to join the 12 teams that secured qualification on the pitch.
The move provides a major reprieve for Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses, who were eliminated by Algeria on a 3–1 aggregate, marking what would have been their second straight absence from WAFCON. Côte d’Ivoire narrowly lost to Burkina Faso, while Mali and Egypt were edged out by Equatorial Guinea and Senegal, respectively.
The communiqué also emphasized that the expansion reflects its commitment to strengthening women’s football and promoting inclusivity across Africa. The new 16-team format will enhance competition and create broader opportunities for emerging nations to showcase their progress.
Holders Nigeria; former champions South Africa; Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia qualified last week.
Morocco participates as hosts. This is the third Women’s Cup of Nations that they are hosting but it has added importance as it serves as the African qualifiers for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the top four finishers heading to Brazil.
Morocco is also hosting the men’s Cup of Nations finals from December 22 to January 18. It is made up of 24 teams.
16 TEAMS FOR WAFCON 2026:
Qualified : Morocco (Host); Zambia; Tanzania; Malawi; Algeria ;Nigeria; Ghana; Burkina Faso; Kenya; South Africa; Cape Verde and Senegal.
Reinstated: Cameroon; Côte d’Ivoire ; Mali and Egypt.
