Desiree Ellis' Banyana Banyana to break camp after CAF reschedules 2026 WAFCON

CAF has postponed the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which was scheduled to start on March 17, to April 3.

The postponement came just as defending champions Nigeria and other teams were intensifying preparations for the tournament.

Morocco are the hosts of the upcoming WAFCON, but after days of uncertainty, CAF has moved the tournament to a later period.

Banyana are in Group B together with Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Burkina Faso.

"In October 2024, the Confederation Africaine de Football [CAF] granted the hosting rights for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations [WAFCON] 2026 to Morocco, and this tournament was scheduled for 17 March to 3 April 2026," said CAF.

"After discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 to 25 July – 16 August 2026 to ensure the success of this important women’s competition in light of certain unforeseen circumstances.

"Preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026 are underway, and all the parties are confident that it will be very successful."

Spain-based Hilda Magaia was the only player yet to join the Banyana camp, where others had reported for training under coach Desiree Ellis, who was assessing some players at the recently ended COSAFA Women's Championship held in Limpopo.

“We are excited to have these players in camp, as they bring more experience, and I believe this is an exciting time for the youngsters in the squad, as they get to mix with their heroes," Ellis said, as per SAFA.

"We have been saying this is an alignment camp for both the COSAFA and the WAFCON, so the arrival of these players helps us take our preparations a notch higher.

“What is also pleasing is that the trio of Linda, Thembi and Amo all scored in their last games at their respective clubs before joining camp, and they come here in good form, which is very encouraging. "But we are very excited to have them around so we can look to finalise our team for WAFCON.”

SAFA will now make fresh plans to see when players will regroup for pre-tournament camp after the dates change.

CAF has not yet made it clear if Morocco will retain hosting rights for the postponed WAFCON, but Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie says South Africa is ready to host.

“If circumstances require a solution, South Africa is prepared to step forward and assist in hosting the tournament," he said.