The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) gets underway in Morocco on Sunday, with 16 nations competing for the continental title and four automatic qualification spots for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The month-long tournament opens with Algeria taking on Senegal at the Rabat Olympic Stadium before hosts Morocco face Kenya later on Sunday in the second Group A fixture.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, begin the defence of their title on Tuesday against Malawi as they pursue a record-extending 11th WAFCON crown.

World Cup qualifier
Beyond continental honours, the tournament carries added significance as Africa’s qualifying competition for the expanded 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the four losing quarter-finalists will compete for two intercontinental play-off places.

The qualification format raises the stakes for every knockout fixture, with teams chasing both continental success and a place on football’s biggest stage.

Algeria, Senegal open WAFCON 2026
Algeria and Senegal will make history by meeting for the first time in a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match when they contest Sunday’s opening fixture.

Although the men’s national teams share a fierce rivalry, highlighted by Algeria’s 1-0 victory over Senegal in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations final, their women’s teams have never previously faced each other at the continental championship.

Hosts Morocco will then begin their campaign against Kenya as they seek to improve on their runner-up finish in the previous edition.

Super Falcons target another title
Nigeria arrive in Morocco as defending champions and Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team.

The Super Falcons defeated hosts Morocco in the 2025 final to secure their 10th continental title and now have the opportunity to extend their record as the most successful team in WAFCON history.

Head coach Justine Madugu’s side has been drawn in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and tournament debutants Malawi.

The Super Falcons will again rely on a squad blending experienced stars and emerging talents as they seek another successful campaign.

Super Falcons’ fixture schedule
Nigeria will play all three of their Group C matches at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Tuesday, July 28: Nigeria vs Malawi – 8:00pm GMT
Saturday, August 1: Nigeria vs Zambia – 8:00pm GMT
Wednesday, August 5: Nigeria vs Egypt – 8:00pm GMT

The Super Falcons must finish among the top two teams in Group C to qualify for the quarter-finals.

If Nigeria advance as Group C winners, they will face the runners-up from Group D in the quarter-finals on August 9. If they finish second, they will play the Group D winners on the same day.

Should they progress, Nigeria could feature in the semi-finals on August 12, with the third-place match scheduled for August 15 and the final on August 16 in Rabat.

Main contenders
While Nigeria remain among the favourites, hosts Morocco will hope home support can help them go one step further after finishing runners-up in the previous edition.

South Africa, champions in 2022, are also expected to challenge strongly after establishing themselves among Africa’s leading women’s teams in recent years.

Zambia enter the tournament with one of the continent’s strongest attacking line-ups, led by captain Barbra Banda, who was named the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year in 2024.

The Copper Queens have emerged as one of Africa’s fastest-rising teams following impressive performances at recent continental and global competitions.

Expanded tournament format
The WAFCON 2026 retains its expanded 16-team format, with the participating nations divided into four groups:

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Group A: Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya

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

Group C: Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi

Group D: Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde

The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.

Morocco hosts again
Morocco is hosting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the third consecutive edition, underlining the country’s growing investment in women’s football.

Matches will be staged across five venues in Rabat and Casablanca, with the final scheduled for August 16 in Rabat.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has continued to increase investment in women’s football by expanding the tournament, improving prize money and strengthening development programmes across the continent.

Full tournament schedule
The group stage runs from July 26 to August 6, followed by the quarter-finals on August 8 and 9.

The semi-finals are scheduled for August 12, while the third-place match will take place on August 15.

The final will be played on August 16 in Rabat, where Africa’s new champions will be crowned and the continent’s four automatic representatives for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil will be confirmed.