The West African Football Union Zone A (WAFU A) has announced a comprehensive six competition calendar for 2026, headlined by the return of the historic Amílcar Cabral Cup, which will be staged in Guinea from 15 to 30 August, Trybal News reports.
The schedule outlines a busy year of youth, women’s and senior tournaments across six countries in the sub region, underlining WAFU A’s drive to promote grassroots development and deepen football ties among member nations.
The most notable development is the revival of the Amílcar Cabral Cup, a tournament that once stood as a symbol of regional football excellence before going dormant for several years. Its return is widely viewed as a significant move to reenergise competition among locally based players and restore a key part of the zone’s football heritage.
Guinea will host the 2026 edition, bringing together nine member associations from Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone. WAFU A Executive Director Mapathe Gaye described the competition as central to the identity of the zone.
“This Cup represented the identity of Zone A. Reviving it also strengthens integration between the WAFU-A member countries,” he said.
The tournament will now be organised on a biennial basis and is expected to serve as a major platform for home based players to showcase their talent at a high competitive level.
In addition to the Cabral Cup, the 2026 calendar places strong emphasis on youth and women’s football. Guinea-Bissau will host the Women’s Under 20 zonal tournament from 1 to 20 March. The Gambia will stage the qualifiers for the CAF Women’s Champions League between 25 July and 9 August.
Senegal has been selected to host the Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tournament from 1 to 20 September, providing a pathway for emerging players to reach the continental stage. Mali will organise the Under 20 qualifying tournament from 6 to 26 October, while Liberia will host the Under 15 Girls qualifying event from 21 to 28 November.
