‘Massive shame’ – Outrage online as Nigerian fans slam CAF for postponing WAFCON 2026

Nigerian fans have voiced frustration after the Confederation of African Football postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations just days before the tournament was due to begin, Afrik Foot reports.

The governing body confirmed that the 2026 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has been moved from its original March window to 25 July – 16 August 2026.

This sparked criticism across social media, particularly from supporters of the Nigerian women’s national football team.

Many Nigerian fans took to X to express disappointment with the decision by the CAF, pinning their frustration on CAF’s timing and poor organisation.

Nigerian fans react angrily to CAF’s WAFCON postponement

Less than two weeks before the tournament’s scheduled start in Morocco, the postponement caught supporters and stakeholders off guard.

One supporter, Paul Edokpayi, criticised CAF’s planning, pointing out that the Super Falcons had already begun preparations for the continental competition.

“CAF is very disappointing. WAFCON has been postponed, and the Nigeria Super Falcons were already seriously preparing.”

CAF is very disappointing. WAFCON has been postponed, and the Nigeria Super Falcons were already seriously preparing.

— Paul Edokpayi (@NigerianWave) March 5, 2026

Fans also questioned CAF’s explanation that the postponement was necessary to prevent “unforeseen circumstances”.

“If CAF believes the decision to postpone, as they claim, was in the avoidance of unforeseen circumstances, it certainly makes no sense at this time, and it is deeply frustrating.” wrote @Euphoria_Sticks.

Others described the situation as embarrassing for African football, particularly given the growing global attention on women’s competitions.

@NotSlightlyUsed wrote: “On a personal level, I’m happy with this development, and you all know why. But structurally, this is a massive shame on CAF for postponing such a big competition with just two weeks to kick off. Absolutely embarrassing.”

Supporters fear damage to women’s football in Africa

Beyond the immediate disruption, many supporters expressed concern about the impact the postponement could have on the reputation of the tournament.

The announcement came as the Super Falcons, Africa’s most successful women’s national team with nine WAFCON titles, were already gearing up for the competition.

A fan, @Etihad_K, attempted to look for positives, suggesting the delay could give coach Justine Madugu more time to refine his squad, although confidence in administrative support remained low.

“I’d even try and find a silver lining for the WAFCON postponement by saying it’ll give Madugu two more windows for fine tuning, but the NFF hates the women’s game as much as CAF so it’ll be a miracle if we even get games in April and June.”

Another supporter argued that the decision risks damaging the competition’s credibility at a time when women’s football in Africa needs stronger promotion.

@official_micolo wrote, “This is embarrassing on the part of CAF, for a tournament we all agree still needs more good PR and attention. Postponing 12 days to the start date of the tournament doesn’t help the image of WAFCON.”

With the tournament now scheduled for July and August, attention will shift to how participating teams adjust their preparation plans while supporters continue to demand clearer communication from CAF regarding the reasons behind the sudden postponement.