The delayed Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 tournament will take place in Morocco from July 5-26, 2025.
South Africa will be looking to defend their title, which they won in the same host country in 2022. Morocco, who lost the last final on home soil, are also among the favourites.
Nigeria, the most successful team in African women's football history, are also expected to be among the teams to watch, as are Zambia - buoyed by NWSL stars Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, not to mention Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya.
The tournament kicks off on July 5 at Rabat's Olympic Stadium, with hosts Morocco taking on fan-favourites Zambia. The group stage will continue until July 14, before the knockout rounds begin four days later.
The quarter-finals will be played on July 18 & 19, the semi-finals on July 22, and the third-place playoff on July 25. The tournament will come full circle with the final on July 26 taking place at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
Teams:
Three groups of four teams start the tournament, and the top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the knockouts. They will be joined by the two best third-placed teams.
Group A: Morocco (host), Zambia, Senegal, DR Congo
Group B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Botswana
Group C: South Africa (holders), Ghana, Mali, Tanzania
Why is the 2024 WAFCON taking place in 2025?
In a move which was widely criticised, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) postponed the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) to avoid a clash with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Morocco - who hosted the last WAFCON and are also set to host the edition after the current one - were confirmed as WAFCON 2024 hosts in August 2022. The fact that the scheduling could not be resolved over the following two years has led to criticism of CAF.
How did teams qualify for WAFCON 2024?
The qualification for WAFCON 2024 followed a structured, two-round knockout format to determine the 11 spots joining host nation Morocco. Both rounds 1 and 2 were played over two legs.
South Africa and Zambia received a bye into the second round on account of their performances at WAFCON 2022 as well as their ranking. Nigeria were forced to enter the first round as a result of finishing only fourth at the previous edition, but ultimately received a walkover round 1 victory over opponents São Tomé and Príncipe, who withdrew due to logistical and financial challenges.
It was no surprise that Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia cruised into the WAFCON. However, qualifiers did claim some major casualties. Most notably, Cameroon failed to make it past the first round.
Their shocking upset via penalties at the hands of Kenya saw the Indomitable Lionesses fail to qualify for the tournament for the first time ever. In WAFCON 1995 - the only previous edition which did not feature them - they had qualified but withdrew.
Kenya, despite shocking one of Africa's best teams in the first round, lost to Botswana in the second.
Why aren't Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga at WAFCON?
Malawi failed to qualify for the WAFCON, failing to field a team for qualifiers due to financial constraints at the Football Association of Malawi (FAM).
Bola News reported at the time that the Chawinga sisters - Tabitha and Temwa, two of the most accomplished African women's footballers - were highly critical of the association's failure to field a team.
Since the incident, Temwa has become one of the hottest prospects in the world, signing for the Kansas City Current and becoming the first NWSL player to score 20 goals in a season in her debut campaign last year.
Her elder sister, Tabitha, plays for Lyon - one of the most successful European women's teams.
Malawi are currently in the running to qualify for WAFCON 2026 and are scheduled to face Angola in a two-legged second round tie in October. The winner will advance to the tournament in Morocco.
This time, however, fans will have to do without two of the biggest stars in Africa.
Rosemonde Kouassi (Washington Spirit & Ivory Coast) is another recognisable player who will miss the tournament after her country lost to Tanzania in the first round of WAFCON qualifying.
Who are the players and teams to watch?
The semifinalists at the last WAFCON - South Africa, Morocco, Zambia and Nigeria - were the same four teams who made the semi-finals of the CAF Olympic qualifying tournament for Paris 2024. Ultimately, Zambia beat Morocco and Nigeria beat South Africa to progress to the Olympics.
These four teams have to be the ones to watch - particularly Zambia and Nigeria. The Super Falcons are the most successful team in African women's football history with 11 titles including their 1991 and 1995 triumphs - which came before the tournament expanded ahead of the 1998 edition.
Meanwhile, the Copper Queens' golden generation is reaching its peak and Zambia will be boosted by Barbra Banda being cleared to participate after they finished third without her last time. Banda's absence at the last tournament has been attributed to concerns over compliance with CAF's controversial testosterone requirements.
Banda (Orlando Pride) will be one of the players to watch at this tournament, together with teammate Kundananji (Bay FC).
Nigeria is in the middle of a handover from one generation to the next, and it is worth watching Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Jennifer Echegini and Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
South Africa are in the middle of a similar transition. Their preparations have been marred by protests over alleged non-payment by their Football Association, SAFA. However, they have proven at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup that they are capable of pulling closer together through this sort of turbulence.
Midfielder Linda Motlhalo (Glasgow City) is a supremely skillful player, while forward Jermaine Seoposenwe (CF Monterrey) is one of the hardest workers on the pitch and is likely to have extra motivation in what is set to be her last international tournament.
They will, however, have to do without star striker Thembi Kgatlana, who withdrew from the squad two weeks from the tournament due to personal reasons.
For Morocco, keep an eye on veteran forward Ghizlane Chebbak, who has spent the majority of her career at home but now plays in Spain for Levante Badalona as the profile of Moroccan women's football continues to grow.
Elsewhere Ghana's Evelyn Badu - who plays in France for Fleury 91 - was the Player of the Tournament at the 2021 CAF Women's Champions League and has the opportunity to make her mark on the big stage aged 22, alongside 21-year-old teammate Princess Marfo - who is on the books of Bay FC.
Which venues are hosting WAFCON 2024?
Rabat's Olympic Stadium, which has a capacity of 21,000, will be one of six grounds hosting the WAFCON across five cities.
Although it will host the opening game and the final, it is not the biggest venue which will be utilised during the tournament. That honour belongs to the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, which can hold 30,000 people. This is one of two stadiums in Casablanca which will be used - the other being the Pere Jego Stadium, which can hold 10,000, making it the smallest venue at the tournament.
The Honneur Stadium in Oujda (capacity 19,800), the El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia (15,000) and Berkane Stadium (15,000) will be the other host stadiums.