The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has postponed the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) just 12 days before its scheduled start, sparking widespread anger among players, coaches, and journalists. The tournament, originally set for 17 March to 4 April in Morocco, has been moved to 25 July–16 August 2026, marking a further delay after the 2024 edition was already postponed by 19 months.
Caf cited 'unforeseen circumstances' in its statement, but did not provide further details when asked by The Guardian. The decision came despite a promise from Caf president Patrice Motsepe on 13 February that the tournament would go ahead as planned. Many teams, including defending champions Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ghana, were already playing friendlies to prepare for the event, which also serves as a qualifier for next year's World Cup.
South Africa coach Desiree Ellis questioned whether such treatment would befall the men's game. 'It's not really fair,' she said. An anonymous Nigeria Football Federation executive called it 'a huge shame' and 'so much disrespect towards the players'. Nigeria's Rinsola Babajide described the situation as 'actually embarrassing at this point'. Ghana's Black Queens, meanwhile, were caught in the Middle East war while in the UAE for a friendly tournament, an experience coach Kim Björkgren called 'frightening'.
Journalists have also been affected. Firdose Moonda, a Guardian contributor, had to buy a new ticket home from Morocco after the postponement, with flight prices more than double. South Africa's sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, called on Caf to reimburse journalists' costs. McKenzie also suggested that Morocco's hosting crisis was politically motivated, and offered South Africa as an alternative host. The Moroccan football federation declined to comment.
