WAFCON 2026: Will South Africa host it? Motsepe responds

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has clarified reports that Morocco is not interested in hosting the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026).

South Africa Deputy Sports Minister Peace Mabe early this month claimed that South Africa had agreed to take over the hosting rights after Morocco withdrew although her comments were later denied by her boss Gayton McKenzie.

That created a state of confusion with all eyes on CAF to make a clarification and it came after their Executive Committee meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Friday.

“Morocco came to assist. There were many countries that wanted to host it [the 2026 WAFCON]. Because we didn’t have time, our standards were very high,” CAF president Patrice Motsepe said. “There are still many countries interested [but] as we speak now, we still have an engagement with Morocco.”

Motsepe leaves questions on WAFCON 2026

That statement left a lot of questions as it seems it has not been decided whether Morocco will still stage the tournament, having also hosted the 2022 and 2024 editions.

It is an uncertainty that CAF does not need when the 16-team tournament is planned to start on March 17 with Banyana Banyana among the countries who will take part.

South Africa were drawn in Group C alongside Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Tanzania and will be looking to reclaim the title that they won in 2022.

However, they could be doing it at home as it is still not certain whether Morocco will host WAFCON 2026 with their bone of contention centering around the chaotic scenes witnessed during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals which the Atlas Lions lost to Senegal.