The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the final draw for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will take place in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday, January 15, 2025.
CAF made the announcement in a statement published on its official website on Wednesday.
The draw ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 pm local time (13:00 GMT / 15:00 Cairo).
“On the same day, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) will also announce the winners of the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year and other outstanding women’s football awards,” the statement said.
According to CAF, the 2026 tournament will mark a major milestone in the competition’s history, as it will feature an expanded format with 16 teams participating for the first time.
The qualified teams for the tournament are hosts Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
CAF further disclosed that ahead of the final draw, winners will be announced in three women’s football award categories: CAF Women’s Coach of the Year, CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year, and CAF Women’s Club of the Year.
These awards were initially scheduled to be presented during the CAF Awards ceremony on November 19, 2025, but were postponed because the women’s football season had not ended due to the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League.
Earlier in the week, CAF officially reopened voting for the three award categories.
The football body clarified that it does not take part in the voting process but is responsible for overseeing and coordinating it.
For the CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year award, voting will be carried out by media representatives, as well as team captains and coaches participating in the CAF Women’s Champions League.
The CAF Women’s Coach of the Year award will be decided by votes from media representatives and coaches from CAF member associations, while the CAF Women’s Club of the Year will be determined through votes from the media and the CAF Women’s Technical Committee.
