The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has moved the two qualification rounds of the 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations by a month due to the clash with the Women’s Symposium dates set for February 24 and 26.

Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) general secretary Ponga Liwewe confirmed the development in an interview yesterday.

“Due to the clash with women’s symposium, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has moved the two qualification rounds of the 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations forward. The mother body has pushed the qualifiers by a month hence giving us much time to organise ourselves,” Liwewe said.

According to a letter signed by CAF’s general secretary, Anthony Baffoe, the new adjustments cited that CAF women’s symposium was slated for March 1 to 3 next year as the main reason.

“We regret to inform you that due to the clash of dates of the first round of the women’s Afcon Ghana 2018 with Caf women’s symposium scheduled to be held in Marrakesh during the first week of March 2-18, it was decided to modify the dates of the qualifications rounds,” part of the letter read.

The first round games will be played on April 2-10 while the second round will be held from June 4-12, 2018.
Seven out of the 24 participating teams are expected to join hosts Ghana for the 13th edition of the continental showpiece scheduled for November 17 to December 1, 2018.

The women’s football event will produce the African representatives for the FIFA Women’s World Cup with top three teams qualifying for France 2019.