As the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco enters its semi-final stage, widespread reports of empty stadium seats have sparked concern. Experts say poor promotion, tight scheduling, high ticket prices, and low fan engagement are key factors in the low turnout.

Football development consultant Ibrahim Lawal criticized CAF for failing to provide sufficient funding and marketing for women’s football in Africa. He called for grassroots investment, more publicity through social media, and targeted advocacy to tackle political and cultural barriers holding back the women’s game.

Tunde Eludini of Premium Times highlighted issues such as expensive tickets, midweek match schedules, and poor publicity in local languages. He urged CAF to make WAFCON a fan-centered experience with discounted group tickets, school outreach, and entertainment on match days.

Hakeem Adegbenro of Echonews added that CAF should consider hosting matches in smaller stadiums for better atmosphere and TV visuals, given the current limited followership of women’s football in many African countries.

Key Recommendations from Experts:

Treat WAFCON as a premium, fan-focused product.

Invest in women-specific academies and female coaches.

Use local languages and social media to create buzz.

Offer ticket discounts, giveaways, and entertainment.

Play in smaller venues to avoid empty-seat optics.

Tackle deep-rooted socio-cultural barriers through advocacy.

Despite being played in six stadiums for the first time, the 2024 WAFCON has faced poor in-person attendance — a problem experts say can only be solved through long-term structural change and smarter fan engagement strategies.