Morocco hosts 2026 CAF Futsal AFCON as Libya face Zambia

The 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations begins in Rabat, Morocco, on Monday, with eight countries competing for the continental title in a tournament scheduled to run until October 21.

According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Libya will face Zambia in the opening match at the Moulay Abdellah Sports Hall as the competition gets underway.

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The eight participating nations are hosts Morocco, Libya, Zambia, Algeria, Egypt, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania.

The teams have been divided into two groups, with Morocco, Libya, Zambia and Algeria drawn in Group A, while Egypt, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania make up Group B.

Libya enter the competition hoping to build on their third-place finish at the 2024 edition, where they defeated Egypt on penalties to secure the bronze medal. The 2008 champions will be led by new head coach Pereira da Silva, who replaced Ricardo Inuguez.

Da Silva, a former coach of Al-Ittihad and Misrata, will be hoping to guide the Mediterranean Knights to a positive start against Zambia.

Zambia, meanwhile, will be coached by Andrea Cristoforetti, who is leading the team at his second consecutive CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations after overseeing their campaign at the 2024 tournament in Rabat.

Cristoforetti said preparations had gone well, highlighting two friendly matches against Egypt as an opportunity to assess his players ahead of the competition.

“We had two friendly games against Egypt, which gave us a good indication of our level, more or less,” he said, according to CAF.

The Zambian coach also acknowledged Libya’s experience, describing the North African side as a structured and disciplined team with a history of competing at the World Cup.

“We are truly curious to see where we stand against these two North African teams. This is our situation,” Cristoforetti added.

He expressed confidence that the experience gained by his players since the previous edition would help them perform better against more established opponents.

“The preparation went pretty well. We have some of the players, like our captain, with experience now, and we know what to expect in a competition like this,” he said.

Cristoforetti added that Zambia hoped to close the gap on Africa’s more experienced futsal nations, describing the tournament as another important step in the team’s development.

With Libya targeting another podium finish and Zambia seeking to demonstrate their progress, their opening encounter is expected to provide an early test of both sides’ ambitions as the race for the continental crown begins.