The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) may have come and gone. It produced some shocking results, different dramas, stunning goals, greater competitiveness, a few upsets, and memorable performances from the women.

Sixteen teams competed for the first time in the tournament. The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon claimed their first WAFCON title when they thumped the Scorchers of Malawi 3-0 in the final to mark a change of guard in the African women’s game.

For many football lovers, the tournament felt incomplete. The WAFCON 2026 witnessed a new low. A familiar problem resurfaced – the low attendance rate with many empty seats in some matches – revealing the state of women’s sport in Africa. The familiar roar that usually accompanies the tournament was replaced with quietness, empty seats, less fanfare, and faded excitement in some of the matches.

Five stadiums across two host cities were used for the WAFCON 2026. The 23,000-capacity Moulay El Hassan Stadium; the 18,000-capacity Al Medina Stadium; the 18,600-capacity Larbi Zaouli Stadium; the 21,000-capacity Rabat Olympic Stadium Moulay; and the 5,000-capacity Rachid Stadium were used, but the visual impression of sparsely populated stands from various stadiums trended on the internet. Efforts to get official figures about the attendance from the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s website did not yield a positive response. There were also scanty reports about the official figures of attendees.  

While no official figures were released by the organisers, several media reports indicated that Morocco’s home fixtures (such as against Algeria and other key matches) drew strong local support and impressive turnouts in the tens of thousands. It had 19,527 in attendance.

In the knockout stages, the reported cumulative figures noted 227,688 spectators through the Round of 16 and 160,228 spectators across the quarterfinal matches.

On the opening day of the tournament, thousands of supporters flooded the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. But in subsequent games where all the action was happening, the stadiums were mostly empty. This is not the first time this kind of scenario has played out. Previous editions of WAFCON had similar stories.

An engaging crowd is a huge weapon for any team. What many observers echoed from the conclusion of this year’s WAFCON is that African women’s football deserves better. The WAFCON is more than football on the African continent; it is an atmosphere for shared experiences that brings people from different backgrounds together. Every attack from the ladies sparks excitement. Every goal unleashes scenes of jubilation, but the recurring low attendance in the just-concluded tournament and previous editions has raised critical questions.

For some observers, the low attendance reflects a broader perception that women’s football competitions appear not to be managed with the same level of professionalism as their men’s counterparts.

The tournament’s attendance patterns are a major indicator with respect to the future growth and development of WAFCON because one of CAF’s objectives is to promote the development of women’s football and ensure the full participation of women at all levels of football governance.

Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie had called out football fans over their lack of support for the country’s women’s team, urging them to show the same level of commitment they display for the men’s national team.

The ‘low attendance’ dilemma

Football has always been a major unifying factor in Africa.

Some participating countries are battling different issues such as high inflation, currency devaluation, and succumbing to broader economic issues. Airfare costs are also expensive.

The low turnout at some matches may not necessarily indicate limited interest in women’s football, but it has highlighted broader issues such as inadequate promotion, limited visibilities, and lack of grassroots marketing in host cities; lower funding for women’s teams relative to men’s teams; biting economic realities such as cost of travelling, high cost of match tickets.

The 2026 WAFCON kicked off a week after the men’s FIFA World Cup concluded, which left little room for pre-tournament promotional buildup or billboards across major Moroccan cities.

According to The Guardian, tickets went on sale less than a week before the tournament kicked off, priced between 20 and 50 Moroccan dirhams (£1.59 to £3.98), but such affordability did not have the required impact.

Digital alternatives over live-match attendance?

A review of CAF’s revenue model shows that it also depends on broadcast deals, including sponsorship and media rights.

While streaming or digital audience figures are not fully available, CAF confirmed that 18 free-to-air broadcast partners partnered with the body for airing the WAFCON 2026.

The UK-based Channel 4 also secured broadcasting rights for all the WAFCON knockout stage matches. The games were aired on the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel. This platform has about 208K subscribers. For example, during the Morocco vs Cameroon game, it garnered 25,836 views on the page.

This is the first time that the tournament has also been broadcast in the UK. CAF also launched a YouTube stream, but the minimalist production comprised a single camera angle.

Lack or inadequate promotion?

WAFCON possesses all the raw ingredients for commercial success. The various editions have groomed women players with an insatiable passion for the tournament, and have a track record of producing world-class talents, yet it appears to be lagging in appealing to fans. Football remains the continent’s most followed sport.

Earlier, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) rescheduled the competition initially slated between 17 March and 3 April. Instead, it took place from 25 July to 16 August. According to CAF, the shift was due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

This postponement came at a cost. The decision upended months of planning across the continent. It left teams in logistical chaos. Sponsors reportedly lost the value of promotional campaigns planned around the original schedule.

Observers believe that CAF should have been more intentional about making WAFCON the competition to anticipate with more publicity.

The publicity and promotion for WAFCON was relatively low when compared to Men’s AFCON. CAF may want to explore the use of multi-channel marketing campaigns to build local excitement and drive ticket sales ahead of the next WAFCON. Especially running targeted social ads, partnering with local radios, utilizing billboard spaces, engaging fan influencers, and running ticket giveaways, among others.

Few events can rival the FIFA World Cup when it comes to drawing massive crowds. For example, according to inside.fifa.com, there was a record-breaking attendance; a total of 4,644,549 people attended matches during the group stage, filling an extraordinary 99.7% of available seats and creating an average crowd of 64,508 per match.

Fans from 210 countries and territories attended the group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, surpassing the all-time attendance record of 3.5 million set at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. The top ticket-buying countries were the USA, Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and France. All these feats were made possible because of the sustained investment in promotions and publicity.

Due to economic realities, one of the strategies used over time is the distribution of free tickets through community groups and locals to help populate the stands and encourage attendance.

Some supporters for the WAFCON 2026 lamented that access to match tickets was limited, while others received tickets through community associations. While it is understandable that host nations benefit more, CAF should ensure that ticket prices are within the reach of locals to ensure their buy-in and sustained interest.

The WAFCON tournament has become an industrial sector, not only to generate ticket sales and match-day revenue, but it is also earning from different areas including broadcasting, merchandise, and others. Host nations and participating countries need comprehensive education in sports management, sports marketing, fan engagement, sponsorship activation, media rights, brand management, merchandising, digital marketing, event management, and football finance.

On the other hand, the other alternative for transportation, including an intra-Africa railway system, which is supposed to help ease the cost of travel by flight, is not available. The various African governments should not relent in their efforts in addressing the cross-regional intra-Africa mobility.

The broader strategic vision of any country hosting major sporting events is that it serves as a catalyst for boosting sport development, tourism, economic growth and the nation’s global image. The huge responsibility is upon the host nation to mobilise fans to cheer the participating nations.

Morocco hosted the WAFCON for a third consecutive edition. Other countries need to take up the huge task of hosting the women’s football competition rather than leaving Morocco to be the traditional powerhouse and the safe choice for CAF to host the tournament. There are many takeaways from the WAFCON 2026. The attendance issue is not merely a football concern; it appears to be a continental setback that demands urgent intervention.

CAF must establish a mandate and set a benchmark for future host countries and participating African countries to send a minimum quota of fans to every game at the WAFCON to build stronger and more consistent spectator engagement. CAF’s responsibility is to create systems, attract investment, improve governance, develop commercial structures, and help unlock the value hidden within the tournaments.