The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) to July next year.
This decision comes as part of a broader scheduling shake-up announced by the CAF president on Friday, June 20, 2023.
The 2024 Wafcon, set to be held in Morocco, will now take place between 5 and 26 July next year. This rescheduling has raised questions about CAF’s commitment to women’s football, particularly given that the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the men’s 2021 tournament was merely postponed.
The decision to reschedule the 12-team 2024 Wafcon finals was complicated by several factors. Notably, record nine-time winners Nigeria and Zambia will be participating in the Paris Olympics this July and August, creating a potential conflict with the original Wafcon dates.
The postponement is especially significant given that qualifying for the 2024 Wafcon was completed last December. As a result, players and coaches will have endured an 18-month wait for the finals by the time the tournament begins in July 2025.
Despite concerns about the delay, CAF President Patrice Motsepe expressed optimism about the state of women’s football in Africa. He said he was “impressed” by the growth of women’s football on the continent, adding, “I am expecting the Wafcon Morocco 2024 to be immensely successful.”
This extended delay raises questions about the impact on player development and the momentum of women’s football in Africa. It also puts pressure on CAF to demonstrate its commitment to the growth and support of the women’s game across the continent, in line with Motsepe’s positive outlook.
As the football community digests this news, attention will likely turn to how CAF plans to use the additional time to ensure a successful tournament in Morocco, and what measures might be put in place to prevent such lengthy delays in the future.
