WAFCON 2026: CAF Unveils Match Fixtures As Nigeria Begins Title Defence

WAFCON 2026: CAF Unveils Match Fixtures As Nigeria Begins Title Defence

 Sampson Adedeji

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially unveiled the match schedule for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with the tournament set to kick off on July 26 in Morocco, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The opening match of the competition will see Algeria take on Senegal at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat. Later on the same day, hosts Morocco will face Kenya at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

CAF confirmed that during the group stage, each group will play on separate matchdays, while all final group matches are scheduled to kick off at 9:00 pm to ensure fairness and competitiveness.

At the end of the group phase, the top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.

The tournament also carries significant stakes in the race for qualification to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. 

The four quarter-final winners will secure automatic qualification for the global showpiece.

Meanwhile, the four losing quarter-finalists will have another opportunity to qualify. 

They will face off on August 13, with the two winners advancing to the FIFA Women's World Cup Intercontinental qualifying play-offs.

The semi-final matches are scheduled for August 12, while the third-place playoff will take place on August 15. The final of the competition is slated for August 16.

Nigeria's Super Falcons enter the tournament as defending champions and will be aiming to retain their continental crown in Morocco.