The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reveals the official procedures for the draw of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations “Total Energies” (WAFCON) Morocco 2026, scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 15, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in the capital, Rabat.
The draw will feature 16 national teams, marking the largest participation in the tournament’s history, and the ceremony will be broadcast live on CAF TV starting at 2 PM local time (1:00 PM GMT).
The following teams have secured their qualification for the finals in Morocco 2026: Morocco (host), Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.
The 16 teams will be divided into four groups, each consisting of four teams (A, B, C, and D). The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stages, which include the quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match, and the final, in addition to play-off matches qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Based on the FIFA women’s ranking released on December 11, 2025, teams have been allocated into four pots:
Pot One: Morocco (host – position A1), Nigeria (defending champion – position C1), South Africa, Ghana.
Pot Two: Zambia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Algeria.
Pot Three: Senegal, Mali, Egypt, Burkina Faso.
Pot Four: Cape Verde, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi.
The draw mechanism follows established rules, with Morocco automatically placed in position A1 as the host country, while Nigeria is awarded position C1 as the reigning champion.
The draw will proceed as follows:
- Drawing teams from Pot Four and placing them in positions A4, B4, C4, and D4.
- Drawing teams from Pot Three and placing them in positions A3, B3, C3, and D3.
- Drawing teams from Pot Two and placing them in positions A2, B2, C2, and D2.
- Finally, the remaining teams from Pot One will be drawn to occupy positions B1 and D1.
As a result, all eyes are on Rabat to discover the group compositions and outline the competitive path in this historic edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
