It seems there’s some confusion about who will host the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Over the weekend, reports came out that South Africa would be stepping in for Morocco as the host country.
According to ESPN, South Africa’s Deputy Minister Peace Mabe spoke at an awards ceremony for the HollywoodBets Super League, the country’s top women’s soccer league, and said that South Africa was ready to host the tournament after Morocco backed out. These comments have not been verified by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Mabe stated that South Africa hosted a Group of Twenty (G20) summit in November, which brought leaders from across the globe to the country, proving that they are ready to welcome large groups of people into the country. She went on to say that South Africa already had the stadiums ready to go. She referenced the fact that the men’s soccer World Cup was held there in 2010.
She also suggested that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations organisation could go on as scheduled. Originally, the tournament was planned for March 17 to April 3. Considering the timing, the country would only need to arrange any systems. She claimed that planning could start as early as February 2.
However, South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture Gayton McKenzie contradicted this claim shortly after it was made. He stated that discussions were still in early stages and nothing official had come out of the discussions.
McKenzie released a statement saying that she wanted to clarify comments that were made by the Deputy Minister.
McKenzie stated that South Africa is willing to support the Confederation of African Football if it is needed. These talks are part of continuing conversations that were started by CAF to think about different backup plans.
She continues by saying that at this moment, Morocco is listed as the official host,t and no decisions have been made.
If South Africa were to host, she says, it would be dependent on a few different things, which include:
* Confirmation from the Confederation of African Football.
* Approval from authorities
* Verification of things like stadium availability and accommodations
* Agreements
She finished the statement by saying that the statements that were made do not formally confirm the change in plans, but rather reflect South Africa’s confidence in hosting major sporting events.
