Morocco will begin its latest attempt to win a first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday when it faces Kenya on the opening day of the expanded 16-team tournament.
The Atlas Lionesses will play at Rabat’s Moulay El Hassan Stadium at 9 p.m., after Algeria and Senegal open Group A at the city’s Olympic Stadium at 6 p.m.
Morocco is hosting the continental championship for a third consecutive edition, having also staged the 2022 and 2024 tournaments. The hosts reached both finals but lost 2-1 to South Africa in 2022 before falling 3-2 to Nigeria in the 2024 decider.
Sunday’s match will pit one of the tournament favourites against a Kenya side returning to the finals for only its second appearance and its first since 2016.
The 2026 edition is the first Women’s AFCON to feature 16 teams, up from 12, with the participants divided into four groups. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
The tournament also serves as Africa’s qualifying competition for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. All four semi-finalists will qualify automatically, while the four losing quarter-finalists will contest play-off matches for two places in the inter-confederation play-offs.
Defending champions Nigeria begin their title defence in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and debutants Malawi.
The final is scheduled for August 16 in Rabat, where Morocco will hope home advantage finally helps it move from consecutive runner-up finishes to a first continental crown.
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