Doubts grow over Morocco hosting the Women’s AFCON

Uncertainty surrounds the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as questions arise about whether Morocco will still host the tournament, as reported by Africanews and agencies on March 5th.

Concerns have emerged just days before the initial scheduled kickoff of March 17th, which has now been postponed, with a new start date of July 25th having been announced.

The Confederation of African Football, commonly known as CAF, has said the situation is being handled urgently and that a clear decision should be announced soon.

Morocco is currently dealing with a busy football schedule while also carrying out renovation work on several stadiums. These challenges could make it difficult to organise the tournament.

Despite these concerns, CAF president Patrice Motsepe had insisted that the initial date of the tournament should remain unchanged. He explained that the competition is not only a continental championship but also serves as part of the qualification process for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Because of this link, changing the schedule could create further complications for the teams involved.

The uncertainty had created a difficult situation for national teams preparing to participate. Players, coaches and officials were in what observers described as a logistical vacuum.

The issue also sparked reactions from other countries. South Africa had indicated that it would be willing to host the tournament if Morocco decided not to proceed.

In November, CAF made the unexpected decision to expand the competition to include 16 teams instead of the usual number. This change was intended to increase participation and further develop women’s football across the continent.

Meanwhile, Nigeria will enter the tournament as the defending champion. The Nigerian team won the previous edition after defeating Morocco 3-2 in the final.

Africanews and agencies, Maghrebi.org