2026 women's AFCON: Everything you need to know about the tournament

Dates, groups, format, stadiums, prize money and World Cup qualification: your complete guide

Africa 25 July 2026 at 14:00

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2026 women's AFCON: Everything you need to know about the tournament

Sixteen national teams, two host cities, four direct World Cup spots and two play-off places: the 2026 Women's AFCON promises to be a decisive showdown.

The 14th edition of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations will take place in Morocco from July 26 to August 16, 2026. Originally scheduled for March 17 to April 3, the tournament was postponed to the summer due to unforeseen circumstances.

For the first time, 16 teams will feature in the final tournament, up from 12 in previous editions. Matches will be split between Rabat and Casablanca, across five venues: the Rabat Olympic Stadium, Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Al Medina Stadium, Larbi Zaouli Stadium and Moulay Rachid Stadium.

The four groups of the 2026 Women's AFCON

Group A – Rabat: Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya

Group B – Casablanca: South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania

Group C – Rabat: Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi

Group D – Casablanca: Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde

Algeria and Senegal will officially kick off the tournament on Sunday, July 26 at 6:00 PM at the Rabat Olympic Stadium. Morocco will then face Kenya at 9:00 PM. The full 2026 Women's AFCON schedule sees the group stage running until August 6.

The quarter-finals will be played on August 8 and 9, the semi-finals on August 12, and the third-place play-off on August 15. The final is set for Sunday, August 16 at 8:00 PM in Rabat.

Format and what's at stake

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. From that stage on, every match will be a knockout clash.

The four semi-finalists will automatically secure their spots at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. The four teams eliminated in the quarters will play classification matches, with two of them earning a place in the intercontinental play-offs for the World Cup.

The favorites and winner's prize

Defending champions and ten-time winners Nigeria remain the tournament's gold standard. South Africa, who lifted the trophy in 2022, and Morocco, finalists in the last two editions, are also among the main contenders. But Zambia, Ghana and Cameroon all have what it takes to shake up the established order.

The Women's AFCON honours list is still dominated by just three nations: Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.

Finally, the African champions will walk away with a record $2 million prize. The runners-up will take home $750,000, while every participating team is guaranteed at least $150,000.