The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed the final four nations completing the 16-team lineup for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco. Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt have secured their spots through the FIFA rankings route.

The decision followed a CAF announcement on November 3, 2025, clarifying qualification adjustments after the conclusion of the earlier 12-team qualifiers. With the tournament expanding to 16 nations for the first time, CAF reinstated the highest-ranked teams eliminated in the final qualifying round to maintain fairness and competitive balance.

The quartet’s reinstatement marks a return to the continental stage after narrow play-off defeats, Cameroon fell to Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire lost to Burkina Faso, Mali were edged out by Equatorial Guinea, and Egypt were beaten by Senegal. Their FIFA rankings, however, now guarantee them a lifeline to the finals.

The 2026 WAFCON will take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3 and will double as Africa’s qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the top four teams earning automatic tickets to Brazil.

The confirmed 16 nations are: Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria (defending champions), Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt.