WAFCON thrills fans in Morocco but faces familiar problems
Mar 14th 2026
The rescheduled Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is under way in Morocco, highlighting rising teams and star players while late scheduling, smaller venues and persistent pay and funding gaps limit the tournament’s impact.
- The tournament was rescheduled to a year later than planned and the match schedule was released only at the end of May.
- Morocco is hosting again after 2022 and is set to host in 2026, emerging as a hub for African women’s football.
- Morocco reached the 2023 World Cup knockout stages and captain Ghizlane Chebbak scored a hat trick in this WAFCON group stage.
- Star players at the tournament include Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, with Desiree Ellis a notable coaching figure.
- Stadium renovations for the men’s tournament forced the use of three smaller grounds, reducing attendance and promotion opportunities.
- Financial issues disrupted some teams’ build ups, with South African players pausing training over unpaid sums before reaching an agreement.
- CAF raised the WAFCON winners prize by 45 percent to €853,000, but that amount remains well below prize funds at the Euros, Copa America Femenina and the men’s AFCON.