By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
Nigeria defender Ashleigh Plumptre has expressed frustration over the last-minute postponement of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, saying such disruption would be unlikely in major global tournaments.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that the 2026 edition of WAFCON, originally scheduled to begin on March 17 in Morocco, would be postponed less than two weeks before kickoff. The competition has now been rescheduled to run from July 25 to August 16, with CAF citing “unforeseen circumstances” after consultations with partners and FIFA.
Reacting to the development, Plumptre questioned the timing of the decision and suggested women’s football in Africa continues to face a lack of organisational priority.
“It just wouldn’t happen for other tournaments,” the Super Falcons defender said while reacting to the abrupt postponement, highlighting concerns shared by several players and stakeholders about the late notice.
The decision has sparked criticism across the African football community because teams had already begun final preparations for the continental showpiece. National federations had organised training camps, friendly matches and travel arrangements ahead of the competition, meaning the delay has disrupted carefully planned programmes.
Nigeria’s women’s national team, the Nigeria women’s national football team, are the most successful side in WAFCON history, having won 10 of the tournament’s 13 editions, and were preparing to defend their title in Morocco.
The postponement has also reignited broader conversations about governance and planning within African women’s football, with critics arguing that such late changes undermine the credibility of the tournament and place unnecessary financial and logistical strain on participating teams.
CAF has maintained that the new schedule will allow the competition to be delivered successfully and potentially expand the tournament format, but the governing body has yet to provide detailed explanations for the timing of the decision.