The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has doubled the winners prize money for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), increasing the champions reward from $1 million to $2 million ahead of the tournament in Morocco, Trybal News reports.
The latest increase comes just days before the competition gets underway on July 25, with the final scheduled for August 16. The 2026 edition will also be historic as it will feature 16 teams for the first time, following the expansion of the tournament.
CAF has also raised the overall prize fund from $3.475 million to $5.8 million, representing a 67 per cent increase over the previous edition. It marks the second consecutive year the governing body has significantly increased financial incentives for women’s football after doubling the winners’ prize from $500,000 to $1 million in 2024.
Under the revised prize structure, the runners-up will receive $750,000, while the third-placed team will also earn an increased reward. Each of the 16 participating nations will receive $150,000 in participation funding, up from the $125,000 allocated at the last tournament.
The latest adjustments mean that, under the current CAF administration, the winners’ prize has grown from $200,000 to $2 million, a tenfold increase while the tournament’s total prize fund has risen from $975,000 to $5.8 million, underlining the federation’s continued investment in the women’s game.
Morocco will once again host Africa’s premier women’s football competition, with matches taking place in Rabat and Casablanca.
Hosts Morocco headline Group A alongside Algeria, Senegal and Kenya, with all their group-stage fixtures set for Rabat.
Defending champions South Africa will compete in Group B in Casablanca, where they face Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania.
Record 10-time champions Nigeria have been drawn in Group C and will battle Zambia, Egypt and Malawi in Rabat, while Group D features Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde in Casablanca.
Beyond continental glory, the tournament also offers a pathway to the global stage. The four semi-finalists will qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the four losing quarter-finalists will compete for places in the intercontinental playoffs.
