WAFCON 2024: All You Need to Know as Morocco Hosts Africa’s Premier Women’s Football Showdown (5–26 July 2025)

The TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2024—commonly referred to as WAFCON 2024—is set to ignite African women’s football in Morocco from 5–26 July 2025 The Guardian+13Confédération Africaine de Football+13Wikipedia+13. This landmark edition marks the continental championship’s return with high expectations, despite being delayed by 19 months due to scheduling conflicts with the Olympic football calendar The Guardian.

With 12 national teams, six host cities across Morocco, and a dramatically increased prize purse, here’s your ultimate guide to every layer of the competition—from fixtures and venues to players and politics.

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Dates & Format

• Group Stage: 5–14 July

• Quarter-Finals: 18–19 July

• Semi-Finals: 22 July

• Third-place Match: 25 July

• Final: 26 July at Rabat Olympic Stadium The Guardian+4Confédération Africaine de Football+4Confédération Africaine de Football+4Wikipedia+1African Football+1

Twelve teams, divided into three groups of four, compete for advancement. The top two in each group plus the two best third-placed teams move on to the knockouts. WAFCON 2024 will feature 22 matches across 6 stadiums in 5 cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Oujda, and Berkane Confédération Africaine de Football+7Wikipedia+7Confédération Africaine de Football+7.

Cities & Stadiums

Morocco, hosting for the second consecutive edition, will again showcase regional stadiums:

• Rabat Olympic Stadium: Newly built, 21,000 capacity — holding the opening match (Morocco vs Zambia) and final Confédération Africaine de Football+1Confédération Africaine de Football+1.

• Larbi Zaouli Stadium (Casablanca): Hosts multiple group-stage matches and a semi-final.

• Père Jégo Stadium (Casablanca): Smaller venue, ideal for group fixtures.

• El Bachir Stadium (Mohammedia): Capacity ~15,000, with at least three group games.

• Honneur Stadium (Oujda): A 35,000-seat Olympic-complex venue where Banyana Banyana begin their title defence.

• Berkane Municipal Stadium: Withholding up to 12,000, hosting group and quarter-final matches African Football+3Confédération Africaine de Football+3Tribal Football+3African Football.

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Prize Money + Rising Stakes

CAF has increased WAFCON 2024’s total prize fund by 45% to USD 3.475 million, doubling the winner’s award to USD 1 million—a major development in women’s football finance in Africa African Football+15Wikipedia+15Confédération Africaine de Football+15. This marks a new era, designed to better equip federations, players, and staff and incentivize competitive performance.

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 Teams to Watch

South Africa (Defending Champions)

Banyana Banyana take the field with aspirations to defend their title after defeating Morocco in 2022. They open Group C against Ghana at Oujda’s Honneur Stadium on 7 July SABCSport+6African Football+6The Guardian+6. Their off-field struggles—unpaid match fees, lack of sponsorship after Sasol exited, and subpar logistical support—mirror larger institutional challenges that continue despite footballing success The Guardian.

Zambia (Rising Force)

Captain Barbra Banda — who made a statement by scoring within 58 seconds of the opening match — leads Zambia’s Copper Queens with conviction, despite past controversies over gender eligibility rules. Their strong start has earned praise from opponents and media alike The Guardian.

Morocco & Nigeria

Hosts Morocco, under former Spain coach Jorge Vilda, aim to make a deep run behind their organized tactics and local support. Nigeria, a ten-time winner, remains a favorite despite internal pay disputes threatening squad focus The Guardian.

Ghana & Senegal

Ghana is rebuilding under Swedish coach Kim Björkegren, who has praised the raw talent in the squad. Senegal’s flourishing star Nguenar Ndiaye has delivered standout goals and inspired her team past group opponents The Guardian.

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How to Watch

• SuperSport (DStv) – Official broadcaster across Sub‑Saharan Africa, offering multiple-language commentary Wikipedia+15Tribal Football+15Confédération Africaine de Football+15

• SNRT (Morocco state TV) – Local coverage for matches in Arabic and French

• CAF TV on YouTube and FIFA+ – Stream selected games and highlights for global audiences Tribal Football

Fans can expect to enjoy more than just football—pre-match singing from Banyana Banyana, pop-up markets near stadiums, and strong hashtag presence: #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2024 and #WAFCON24.

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When Football Isn’t Enough

Despite the spectacle, WAFCON 2024 has exposed systemic gaps: CAF’s scheduling inefficiencies, underfunded federations, and persistent issues including LGBTQI+ discrimination and uneven youth development programs across African nations Wikipedia+15The Guardian+15Confédération Africaine de Football+15.

Facilities are still lagging, with some stadiums reduced to secondary venues due to renovations tied to men’s tournaments. This reflects persistent gender inequality in sports investment and planning The Guardian.

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Legacy and Influence

• This will be the second of three consecutive WAFCON tournaments hosted in Morocco, as CAF recently confirmed the 2026 edition will again take place there Confédération Africaine de Football+3Wikipedia+3SABCSport+3.

• A highly competitive WAFCON now acts as an official qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, raising the stakes even further.

• With CAF doubling the prize money and delivering better broadcast coverage, WAFCON 2024 is positioned to elevate women’s football visibility and viability across the continent Wikipedia+1Confédération Africaine de Football+1.

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WAFCON 2024: Summary

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