Abidjan, November 4, 2025 – The Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire will indeed be among the nations participating in the next Women's Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2026) . The national team was reinstated following a major decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to expand the tournament format from 12 to 16 teams , AIP learned this Tuesday.

A Draft Based on the FIFA Ranking

Ivory Coast had initially been eliminated from the competition by Senegal in the final round of qualifying (two 0-0 draws, then a 4-5 penalty shootout defeat). However, the expansion decided by the CAF Executive Committee allowed the four highest-ranked teams in the FIFA Women's World Ranking to be reinstated from among the 11 teams that had failed at this stage.

Ivory Coast (ranked 71st in the world) is one of the four teams that qualified for the final continental tournament, alongside Cameroon (66th), Mali (79th), and Egypt (95th). These four nations complete the list of 16 teams qualified for the continental finals.

The FIF Welcomes the Progress of Women's Football

The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) quickly reacted to this news on its Facebook page on Tuesday, expressing its satisfaction. The FIF highlighted the "constant progress of Ivorian women's football" and thanked the players, the coaching staff, and all those who work for the development of the sport.

This qualification is seen as a just reward for the Elephants' perseverance and consistency. It offers the team a new opportunity to aim for a memorable run at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

The identity of the host country for this edition of the Women's AFCON has yet to be announced by CAF at a later date.