Plumptre Slams CAF Over Late Postponement of 2026 WAFCON
Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has criticised the Confederation of African Football after the governing body postponed the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations less than two weeks before the tournament was due to begin.
The competition was originally scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3. However, CAF later announced that the tournament has been moved to July 25 to August 16, 2026, saying the change was due to unforeseen circumstances after discussions with different football stakeholders.
The decision has caused strong reactions across African football, as many teams had already started preparing for the tournament.
Plumptre also expressed her disappointment over the way the situation was handled. Speaking in an interview shared on social media, the Nigerian defender said postponing such a big competition so close to the start date shows poor organisation.
“It just wouldn’t happen for other tournaments in women’s football, and especially not in men’s football,” she said.
The former Leicester City defender explained that the tournament is very important for many countries, especially as the upcoming edition will feature 16 teams for the first time.
She said several nations see the competition as a big opportunity to grow in women’s football.
“Many teams haven’t even played in AFCON before, let alone had the chance to qualify for a World Cup,” Plumptre added.
The sudden postponement has also affected the plans of many teams. Some national sides, including the Super Falcons, had already started preparing for the tournament after recent international matches.
The change in dates has created concerns about travel plans, training programmes, and the release of players by their clubs, as everything had been arranged for the original March schedule.
Despite her disappointment, Plumptre admitted that players now have to adjust to the new situation.
“All I can do is take it day by day and prepare myself the best way that I can,” she said.
With the tournament now set to take place in July and August, teams will have to reorganise their preparations ahead of the competition.
