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South Africa will reportedly replace Morocco as the host country for the 2023 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

 

South Africa last hosted WAFCON in 2010, where Banyana Banyana finished third, with Nigeria’s Super Falcons claiming the title over Equatorial Guinea in the final.

Change in Hosting Plans

Originally scheduled for this summer in Morocco, the tournament was postponed to July 5-26, 2025, by the African football body after no other country expressed interest in hosting.

Despite having hosted the previous edition, Morocco was initially awarded the 2023 hosting rights. However, after securing the right to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco’s interest in staging WAFCON has waned.

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan confirmed on Tuesday that they have engaged with the government regarding their plans to host the competition. 

“Well, we have submitted to CAF our intention for the next WAFCON, of course that WAFCON was awarded to Morocco”. 

CAF must now respond to us, if they say yes – it will give us the opportunity to defend our title at home, and it is a huge opportunity for Banyana,” said Jordaan.

The next WAFCON is scheduled to take place from July 6-25, 2025. This will be the first time the tournament is held outside its originally scheduled year, and the host country remains to be confirmed.

Teams from 12 countries, including Nigeria’s Super Falcons and defending champions Banyana Banyana, have already qualified for the biennial competition. 

Nigeria, the most successful team in WAFCON history with eleven titles, last won in 2018 by defeating South Africa in the final. South Africa claimed their first title in 2022, defeating Nigeria in the process.

Nigeria, the only African team to qualify for every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will aim to reclaim their crown when WAFCON kicks off in July 2025.