Morocco will host the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) for the third time in a row in 2026, with the qualifying path announced on Thursday.

Thirty-eight countries have entered preliminaries for the tournament, four fewer than the number that began the process for the 2024 edition.

Sides will play two rounds of home and away ties to decide which 11 teams will join the host nation at Wafcon 2026.

The six highest-ranked countries – Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast – have each received a bye to the second round.

The first qualifying round will take place in February 2025, with the second round in October next year.

The dates of the tournament are yet to be announced by the Confederation of African Football.

Botswana and DR Congo have qualified for the 2024 finals but could both be missing from the 2026 edition after being handed a tricky draw.

They will face each other in the first round of preliminaries, and the winners will then meet reigning continental champions South Africa.

The delayed 2024 Wafcon finals are scheduled to be held in Morocco from 5-26 July next year, having been pushed back because of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The timing of the 12-team tournament was only announced in June.

The North African kingdom also staged the 2022 finals.