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South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, winners of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), will face a challenging campaign at Wafcon 2026 after being drawn in Group B alongside Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania.
The South African women’s national team, coached by Desiree Ellis, will be determined to reclaim continental glory and qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup when the tournament kicks off in Morocco this March.
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Nigeria and Morocco headline the draw
Defending champions Nigeria Super Falcons, who claimed a record-extending 10th Wafcon title in 2025, will meet Zambia, Egypt and Malawi in Group C. Nigeria famously thrashed Zambia 5-0 before beating Morocco 2-1 in the final last year.
Hosts Morocco, staging the finals for the third consecutive edition, will face Algeria, Senegal and Kenya in Group A. Meanwhile, Ghana will contest Group D against Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde, who are making their debut.
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Expanded tournament and World Cup qualification
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) expanded Wafcon from 12 to 16 teams midway through qualification, allowing Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali and Egypt to progress based on world rankings despite losing their second-round ties.
The stakes are high: the four semi-finalists at Wafcon 2026 will qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, while losing quarter-finalists will battle for two additional spots via an inter-confederation playoff.
Dates and venues
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will run from 17 March to 3 April, a shorter window than the 2024 edition but with more matches. Games will be staged at two stadiums in Rabat, one in Casablanca, and one in Fes. Group B, featuring Banyana Banyana, will be played at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat.
Motsepe’s pledge to women’s football
CAF president Patrice Motsepe has promised to increase prize money and improve player salaries for women’s football across Africa. Nigeria earned $1 million for their 2025 triumph, while the men’s AFCON winners this year will collect $10 million – a gap Motsepe says must be narrowed.
He also presented overdue awards for 2025, naming AS FAR (Morocco) as Women’s Club of the Year, Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe) as Coach of the Year, and Sanaa Mssoudy (AS FAR & Morocco) as Interclub Player of the Year.
South Africa’s challenge
For Banyana Banyana, the group stage offers both opportunity and danger. Matches against Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso will test their resilience, while Tanzania’s rise in women’s football adds another layer of intrigue. South African supporters will be hoping Ellis’s team can rediscover the form that carried them to the Wafcon 2022 title and mount a serious challenge for continental supremacy once again.
