The tournament, which is a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, is due to be staged in Morocco from March 17–April 3, but has been the subject of speculation for several weeks.
Reports suggest Morocco have indicated they cannot host the tournament at this time, but want to remain hosts and play it later in the year, with August mentioned as a possible timeframe.
“CAF will communicate within the next 48 hours on the situation regarding the #TotalEnergiesWAFCON26,” September said via his X account. “There have been several discussions for weeks. The matter is receiving urgent and high-level attention.”
South Africa said last month they were ready to step in and act as hosts, but should Morocco withdraw from staging the finals, they would be disqualified in accordance with CAF regulations.
The same happened to Ivory Coast when they withdrew from hosting the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations last year and Egypt stepped in at the last minute.
With the four semi-finalists booking automatic berths at the 2027 World Cup, Morocco, which has invested heavily in its women’s football programmes, would miss out on the global finals if disqualified.
A record 16 countries will take part in the finals, including defending champions Nigeria, 2022 champions South Africa, last year's bronze medallists Ghana and debutants Kenya.
