Defending champions Nigeria will face familiar opposition after being drawn alongside Zambia, Egypt and debutants Malawi in Group C of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be staged in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The final draw took place on Thursday (yesterday) at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, with the 16 qualified teams seeded into four pots based on the FIFA Women’s World Ranking of December 11, 2025.

Host nation Morocco was automatically placed in position A1, while Nigeria, the holders, occupied position C1.

The Super Falcons’ meeting with Zambia renews a recent rivalry, having emphatically beaten the Copper Queens 5–0 on their way to a 3-2 victory over hosts Morocco in the final last July to secure a record-extending 10th continental title.

Egypt return to the finals after benefiting from the CAF’s decision to expand the tournament from 12 to 16 teams midway through qualification, while Malawi will make their debut appearance at the finals.

Hosts Morocco, staging the tournament for a third consecutive edition, headline Group A, where they will contest a North African derby against Algeria, alongside fixtures against Senegal and Kenya.

Group B pairs 2022 champions South Africa with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, while Group D features Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and debutants Cape Verde.

The four semi-finalists at the tournament will qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the losing quarter-finalists advancing to a play-off for two places at an inter-confederation qualifier.

The expanded format followed qualification exits by Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali and Egypt in the second round, with all four advancing to the finals based on their world ranking.

The adjustment also means the 2026 edition will feature more matches despite being played over a shorter period.

The tournament will run from Tuesday, March 17 to Friday, April 3, 2026, four days shorter than the delayed 2024 edition, which had been pushed back due to scheduling conflicts, including the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Matches will be staged across four venues, with two stadiums in Rabat and one each in Casablanca and Fez.

Ahead of the draw, CAF president Patrice Motsepe reiterated plans to increase prize money for the women’s tournament and improve player salaries across the continent.

Nigeria earned $1m for winning the title last July, while the champions of the men’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will receive $10m.

Motsepe also presented three women’s awards for 2025 that were not handed out in November.

Women’s African Champions League winners AS FAR were named Club of the Year, TP Mazembe coach Lamia Boumehdi received the Coach of the Year Award, while AS FAR and Morocco winger Sanaa Mssoudy were crowned Interclub Player of the Year