The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has declared that starting from the 2026 edition, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) will increase its format from 12 to 16 teams.

Next year’s competition in Morocco was originally planned to feature 12 teams, and the qualification rounds are currently in the second and final phase.

This expansion will potentially necessitate an additional preliminary round, with 11 remaining nations competing for 4 available spots.

Caf is anticipated to provide more details following discussions at its executive committee meeting taking place in Kinshasa.

Wafcon began as an eight-team tournament back in 1998 and maintained this format until the tournament held in Ghana in 2018.

The 2020 edition of Wafcon was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic; however, the tournament resumed with 12 participants in 2022.

Caf has made significant investments to enhance women’s football across the continent, resulting in a 45% increase in the total prize fund for this year’s tournament in Morocco, raising it to $3.45 million (£2.6 million).

Nigeria, the champions, received $1 million (£750,000) after capturing their record 10th Wafcon title.

Caf president Patrice Motsepe expressed satisfaction with the advancements in women’s football in Africa.

“I am proud of the strides we’ve made in women’s African football,” he stated. “Ensuring that both men and women are fairly compensated is crucial, allowing them to build a career in football.

“I assure you that the future of women’s football will see continued improvement, as we are concentrating our efforts in that area.”