“Player Welfare First”: Ellis Applauds CAF’s WAFCON Schedule Shift
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has welcomed the revised fixture schedule for the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), saying the changes will give her players more time to rest and recover during the tournament.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently released the official match schedule, including kick-off times, for the 2026 WAFCON, which will be hosted in Morocco.
According to the revised schedule, the tournament will now kick off on 26 July 2026, one day later than the original start date of 25 July. As a result, South Africa will begin their title defence on the second day of the competition instead of the opening day, as initially planned.
Another significant change sees Banyana Banyana based in Casablanca rather than Rabat, which had been announced following the tournament draw.
The 2026 edition will also be the largest in the competition’s history, with 16 nations competing for the continental crown for the first time.
Ellis welcomed the revised programme, saying the additional recovery time between matches demonstrates CAF’s commitment to player welfare.
“The new fixture gives us three days of rest between matches instead of the previous schedule, where we only had two days to recover,” said Ellis.
“This move is a clear indication that the welfare of the players has been taken into consideration, especially because of the hot conditions expected during the tournament. We applaud CAF for making this decision and say thank you, as it will benefit all the teams.”
Banyana Banyana, who have been drawn in Group B, will open their WAFCON 2026 campaign against Tanzania on Monday, 27 July, at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, where they will play all of their group-stage matches.
They will then take on Côte d’Ivoire four days later before concluding the group stage against Burkina Faso.
The tournament carries additional importance, with the four semi-finalists earning qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Ellis said the confirmation of the fixtures allows the technical team to finalise its preparations as South Africa aims to retain its continental title and secure another appearance on the world stage.
“What is also exciting is that we now have the confirmed fixtures, and we can plan thoroughly for the competition. We will now go full blast with our preparations,” she said.
“This is a very important tournament, and our mission remains the same. We want to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year. Now that we have all the information regarding the 2026 WAFCON, we will announce our plans soon, including naming the final squad for the tournament.”
