The Amílcar Cabral Cup is set to return in Guinea from 15 to 30 August 2026, reviving a competition with a distinctive place in West African football.
The West African Football Union Zone A confirmed the tournament as the centrepiece of its six-competition calendar for 2026. Its return gives locally based players another senior international platform while bringing all eight WAFU-A member nations together.
A regional competition returns
The Amílcar Cabral Cup was once a regular part of the West African calendar before a long period without competition. WAFU-A has now restored it as a biennial tournament, with Guinea entrusted to stage the 2026 edition.
CAF’s official announcement lists Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone as the participating WAFU-A nations. The tournament is designed to strengthen regional competition and create meaningful international exposure for players working primarily in domestic football.
Why the timing matters
A regular regional tournament can fill an important gap between domestic leagues and wider continental competition. It gives coaches an opportunity to assess players in an international environment and gives supporters a competition rooted in the football identity of their own region.
The 15–30 August window also places the revived cup at the start of a busy second half of the year for WAFU-A. The zone’s calendar includes Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying in Senegal in September and an Under-20 qualifying tournament in Mali in October.
Guinea takes the hosting role
For Guinea, hosting the return carries both sporting and organisational significance. The country will welcome its regional neighbours for a tournament intended to reconnect the cup with a new generation of players and supporters.
The confirmed dates and participants provide the foundation for the event. Match schedules, squads and results should be followed only through subsequent official WAFU-A and CAF updates as the opening approaches.
Source: WAFU-A unveils ambitious six-tournament 2026 calendar, published by CAF on 23 February 2026.
