Morocco ready to host Wafcon 'any time' as questions remain over postponement
At the start of February, South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie was forced to clarify remarks from his deputy that South Africa was set to step in as Wafcon hosts, adding further fuel to talk of a potential switch from Morocco. McKenzie went on to say that "South Africa has expressed its willingness to support Caf if required, should alternative hosting arrangements for the 2026 Wafcon become necessary". In response, Caf president Patrice Motsepe said "many" other nations were interested in hosting Wafcon but could not because they wanted to alter the dates of the tournament.
Motsepe went on to insist "we can't change the dates" - a comment which has aged poorly, especially as this is not the first time Wafcon has been shunted around Africa's footballing calendar, leading to accusations that women's football is not seen as a priority. While the men's Afcon was merely delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, Wafcon 2020 was cancelled entirely. The 2024 edition was finally played last July, having been postponed for a year .
This time around, with only 12 days' notice given, teams were in the final stages of their preparations. Ghana's players, for example, were already in a training camp in the UAE. "It just wouldn't happen for other tournaments in women's football – and especially in men's football," Ashleigh Plumptre told Sportsworld on the BBC World Service.
The Nigeria defender, who was part of the Super Falcons side who secured a record-breaking 10th title last July, says the fact that the 2026 tournament – the first to feature 16 teams – will double up as qualifying for next year's Fifa Women's World Cup in Brazil makes the late postponement more distressing. "Many teams haven't even been in the Afcon before, never mind had the chance to qualify for a World Cup. It also helps them financially," Plumptre added.
"All I can do, and I've almost probably been forced to be put in this position, is just take day by day and prepare myself in the best way that I can because there's so many things I've had to get accustomed to, and many other players in African football, where you kind of just have to go with it, because you have no other choice. " Morocco will co-host the 2030 Fifa World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain, making it only the second African nation to host the tournament following South Africa in 2010 While Morocco is yet to be officially reconfirmed as the venue for this year's Wafcon, a source close to power brokers at the FRMF told BBC Sport Africa that the Atlas Lionesses do expect to host in July, bidding for a first title after losing in the last two finals, and that Caf would have to officially strip the hosting rights should the governing body wish to make a change. The uncertainty, however, comes at a time when Morocco is preparing to co-host the 2030 World Cup along with Spain and Portugal.