CAF silence keeps Morocco as 2026 Women’s CAN host despite South Africa claims

Despite recent media reports suggesting that Morocco has withdrawn as host of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and that South Africa may take over, official statements from authorities in both countries indicate that Morocco remains the designated host and no formal change has been confirmed. Recent headlines in several sports outlets claimed that Morocco had stepped back from hosting the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with South Africa announced as its replacement by some media sources. These reports cited comments from South African officials suggesting their government

Despite recent media reports suggesting that Morocco has withdrawn as host of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and that South Africa may take over, official statements from authorities in both countries indicate that Morocco remains the designated host and no formal change has been confirmed. Recent headlines in several sports outlets claimed that Morocco had stepped back from hosting the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), with South Africa announced as its replacement by some media sources. These reports cited comments from South African officials suggesting their government was preparing to take over hosting duties on short notice. However, official clarifications quickly followed tempering the initial reports, South Africa’s Minister of sport, arts and culture Mr Gayton Mckenzie publicly said; “no formal decision has been made to relocate the tournament from Morocco”, and that the report of South Africa replacing Morocco had been cast prematurely.

Mr Gayton Mckenzie, South Africa’s Minister of sport, arts and culture

At the center of the confusion is the distinction between willingness to step in and an official host transfer. While South African authorities have indicated that their country is prepared to host if required, they emphasized this is contingency planning rather than an official change. Crucially, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as the governing body responsible for organizing WAFCON  has not issued any statement confirming a withdrawal by Morocco or endorsing a new host. As a result, Morocco continues to be recognized as the official host for the 2026 tournament.