Former assistant coach of the Nigeria ladies’s nationwide soccer crew, Mansur Abdullahi, believes the choice by the Confederation of African Soccer to postpone the Girls’s Africa Cup of Nations might finally present collaborating nations with extra time to organize, regardless of the frustration surrounding the announcement.
CAF lately confirmed that the 2026 version of the continental event, initially scheduled for March, will now happen between July 25 and August 16, 2026 in Morocco, following consultations with stakeholders together with FIFA.
Reacting to the event, Abdullahi acknowledged that whereas the postponement is just not ultimate, it could current a chance for groups to strengthen their preparations forward of the competitors.
“The postponement is disappointing, however it might additionally give some international locations extra time to organize correctly for the event,” Abdullahi mentioned.
He defined that the extra time might permit coaches to evaluate gamers extra completely, organise extra pleasant matches and construct stronger squads for the championship.
Nevertheless, Abdullahi expressed concern over the brand new timing of the event, noting that it doesn’t fall inside an official FIFA worldwide window.
“My predominant concern is that golf equipment will already be getting ready for a brand new season when the event begins,” he defined.
In keeping with him, the scheduling might create conflicts between golf equipment and nationwide groups, doubtlessly discouraging some gamers from collaborating within the event.
“Gamers could discover it tough to go away their golf equipment if the competitors doesn’t fall inside a FIFA window,” he added.
Regardless of these considerations, Abdullahi urged CAF to study from the scenario and guarantee higher planning sooner or later.
“There’s nonetheless room for enchancment, and CAF should be certain that such conditions are prevented going ahead,” he mentioned.
The WAFCON stays Africa’s premier ladies’s soccer competitors and a key platform for groups comparable to Nigeria’s Tremendous Falcons to take care of their dominance on the continent.
