A senior official from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has dismissed speculation that South Africa might replace Morocco as host of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), calling the rumors baseless. The statement comes amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding which country will ultimately stage the tournament.
“There was a statement by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Sport regarding the possibility of hosting the tournament, which was subsequently denied by the Minister,” the official told Yabiladi on Monday.
“As long as no announcement has been made by the supervising body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), there is no new development on this matter.”
However, the same official declined to respond to a question concerning reports that Morocco had requested a postponement of the tournament.
The controversy arose after South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture,
Peace Mabe said in a televised interview last Saturday that her country would host the tournament, which is scheduled to kick off in Morocco on March 17.
But in response to his deputy’s earlier statement, South African Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie issued an official statement stressing that “at this stage, no formal decision has been taken to relocate the tournament, and Morocco remains the officially designated host of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations”.
He also clarified that CAF “has not yet triggered any alternative hosting process”.
Pretoria nonetheless acknowledged that it had informed CAF of its readiness “should alternative hosting arrangements for the 2026 WAFCON become necessary”, within the framework of exploratory discussions related to contingency planning.
The statement further emphasized that the Deputy Minister’s remarks “do not constitute a formal confirmation or assumption of hosting responsibilities,” describing them instead as an expression of general support for African football.
As of now, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has issued no official comment on the matter.
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