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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.<\/b><\/p>\n
Thirty-eight countries have entered preliminaries for the tournament, four fewer than the number that began the process for the 2024 edition.<\/p>\n
Sides will play two rounds of home and away ties to decide which 11 teams will join the host nation at Wafcon 2026.<\/p>\n
The six highest-ranked countries – Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast – have each received a bye to the second round.<\/p>\n
The first qualifying round will take place in February 2025, with the second round in October next year.<\/p>\n
The dates of the tournament are yet to be announced by the Confederation of African Football.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
They will face each other in the first round of preliminaries, and the winners will then meet reigning continental champions South Africa.<\/p>\n
The delayed 2024 Wafcon finals<\/a> 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.<\/a><\/p>\n The North African kingdom also staged the 2022 finals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n