Media Experts Limited (MEL), the international sports and entertainment media consultancy has been appointed by the Confederation of African Football.
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 the mandate granted by CAF. It marks a continuation of MEL’s relationship with CAF, which has also included work connected to the Confederation’s men’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) properties, and sits alongside MEL’s broader portfolio of assignments for global sports and entertainment giants.
According to Kunle Falodun, Founder and CEO of Media Experts Limited, “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.
To be entrusted with bringing CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 to audiences across Sub-Saharan Africa is both an honour and a responsibility. At MEL, we see this as a platform to celebrate the progress the women’s game has made, and the women who have been responsible. It is also an opportunity to bring our broadcast partners and sponsors along with us on this noble mission.”
Luxolo September, Head of TV Operations & Communications Director at CAF said; “Free-to-air television remains a cornerstone of CAF’s broadcast strategy, ensuring that African football is accessible to millions of fans across the continent.
We are delighted to appoint Media Experts Limited (MEL) as the preferred partner for the commercialisation of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 free-to-air rights across Sub-Saharan Africa. 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 per cent increase in total prize money along with expanded participation payments for competing federations.
This is a shift CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe has linked to the Confederation’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 a third successive edition, has backed that momentum with new investment in a national women’s football academy and elite coaching.
The wider commercial backdrop reinforces the opportunity. Africa is estimated to have between 300 – 500 million avid football lovers.
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. It is this commercial opportunity powered by a growing fan appetite that MEL is positioned to unlock for both broadcasters and sponsors.
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.
Interested broadcasters, sponsors and content partners are invited to contact MEL directly to discuss WAFCON Morocco 2026 opportunities ahead of further announcements on the tournament’s commercial programme.
