The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Media Experts Limited (MEL) to commercialise the Sub-Saharan Africa free-to-air media rights for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026.
The deal covers the free-to-air distribution of Africa’s flagship women’s football competition across Sub-Saharan Africa, giving MEL the responsibility to market and distribute the licensed free-to-air media rights in accordance with CAF’s mandate.
Luxolo September, Head, TV Operations & Communications Director at CAF, stated that free-to-air television remains a cornerstone of CAF’s broadcast strategy.
According to September, the initiative will ensure that African football is accessible to millions of fans across the continent.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to expanding the reach of women’s football, strengthening broadcaster engagement, and bringing the excitement of WAFCON 2026 to audiences in every corner of Africa.”
While CAF remains the exclusive owner of all media and commercial rights relating to the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026, the mandate arrives at a pivotal moment for the women’s game in Africa.
The most recent edition of WAFCON, hosted in Morocco, delivered a 45 percent increase in total prize money along with expanded participation payments for competing federations.
This is a shift CAF President Patrice Motsepe has linked to CAF’s long-term commitment to making women’s football more competitive and financially sustainable.
CAF has reported that the tournament’s opening match alone was broadcast to more than 120 territories, while attendances and streaming audiences around the competition have continued to climb.
Morocco, which is hosting WAFCON for a third successive edition, has backed that momentum with new investment in a national women’s football academy and elite coaching.
Africa is estimated to have between 300 – 500 million avid football lovers, which reinforces the wider commercial backdrop opportunity in CAF-organised tournaments.
Analysts estimate that Sub-Saharan Africa’s sports-related revenue could reach roughly $20 billion by 2035, driven by a young, mobile-first population and fast-improving digital infrastructure.
MEL is positioned to unlock for both broadcasters and sponsors the commercial opportunity in African football, leveraging the growing fan appetite in football.
MEL, whose client history spans FIFA World Cup, AFCON, UEFA Champions League and Premier League properties, plans to use the mandate to open conversations with prospective sponsors, including pan-African brands, alongside regional and international broadcasters, on partnership packages built around WAFCON Morocco 2026.
“Women’s football in Africa has waited a long time for the recognition it deserves, and momentum is now firmly on its side with record prize money, record crowds, and a new generation of stars the whole continent is proud of,” Kunle Falodun, Founder and CEO of Media Experts Limited, stated.
He added that to be entrusted with bringing CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 to audiences across Sub-Saharan Africa is both an honour and a responsibility.
“It is also an opportunity to bring our broadcast partners and sponsors along with us on this noble mission,” he added.
