CAF Announces Increase in Teams for Women's Africa Cup of Nations

Women's Africa Cup of Nations expanded to 16 teams

The Women's Africa Cup of Nations is set to feature 16 teams after CAF decided to increase the number of participating teams. Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Mali join the lineup.

The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations will feature 16 teams, including Morocco as hosts...

The Women's Africa Cup of Nations will feature 16 teams instead of 12 at the next tournament, scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026. This decision comes after the Confederation of African Football's executive committee approved the expansion.

The four additional teams included in the tournament are Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Mali. These teams were previously eliminated in the final qualifying round but have been reinstated based on their FIFA rankings. They will join the 12 teams that have already qualified for the tournament.

The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations will also serve as the African qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup, with the top four teams earning a spot in the global tournament. Morocco, as the host nation, has automatically qualified for the tournament, which will mark its third time hosting the event.

Four teams - Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Mali - have been added to the qualified teams after emerging as the best losers in the preliminary knockout round. Despite losing in the previous round, these teams earned their spots based on their FIFA rankings, according to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The stage just got bigger! 🌍#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2026 will feature 16 teams, Africa’s best are ready. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KqCUn5xV22

— CAF Women’s Football (@CAFwomen) November 5, 2025

The inclusion of these four teams brings the total number of qualified teams to the next stage. The decision highlights the competitive nature of the qualification process, where teams are given opportunities to progress based on their overall performance and rankings.

The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations will feature 16 teams, including Morocco as hosts, Nigeria as defending champions, and other qualified teams like South Africa, Algeria, and Ghana. The tournament will take place from March 17 to April 3, 2026, and will also serve as the African qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, with the top four teams earning a spot.

The four additional teams that secured their spots in the tournament are Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt, who were selected based on their FIFA rankings after being eliminated in the final qualifying round. This expansion is part of the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) efforts to increase competitiveness and promote women's football across the continent.

Interestingly, Morocco is not only hosting the Women's Africa Cup of Nations but is also set to host the men's Cup of Nations finals from December 22 to January 18. The men's tournament will feature 24 teams, highlighting the growing popularity and importance of African football.