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Morocco, Algeria Chase Historic WAFCON Bronze

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2 hours ago

August 15, 2026

The North African rivals meet again in Rabat for a landmark third-place battle after contrasting semi-final defeats

Morocco and Algeria will renew their North African rivalry at the Rabat Olympic Stadium on Saturday, August 15, 2026, when the hosts face Algeria in the third-place play-off of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with both teams chasing a historic finish to their campaigns.

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The 6pm encounter will be unlike any previous third-place match at the tournament. According to the Confederation of African Football, it is the first time two North African nations have contested a WAFCON medal match and the first occasion on which teams from the same region have met in the third-place play-off.

The meeting also gives both sides an opportunity to turn semi-final disappointment into a memorable conclusion.

Morocco entered the tournament with ambitions of reaching a third successive final on home soil, but Cameroon ended those hopes after a goalless draw was settled 3-1 on penalties.

The result was particularly painful for the hosts, who had reached the final in each of the previous two editions they hosted, finishing runners-up in 2022 and 2024.

A victory over Algeria would restore some pride and secure Morocco’s third top-three finish in the competition. It would also preserve the hosts’ record of finishing among the top three whenever they have staged the tournament.

Morocco will, however, need to improve their attacking efficiency after struggling to create clear opportunities against Cameroon. The hosts enjoyed 64 per cent possession, completed 426 of 566 passes and registered only three shots on target.

The penalty shoot-out also ended a remarkable run. Hanane Ait El Haj scored to extend Morocco’s streak to 10 consecutive successful WAFCON shoot-out penalties before Kenza Chapelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui missed.

CAF noted that Chapelle became the first Moroccan player to miss a penalty in a WAFCON shoot-out.

Morocco nevertheless enter Saturday’s contest with an advantage from their earlier meeting with Algeria. Sanaa Mssoudy’s 84th-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory in the group stage.

The rematch presents Algeria with an opportunity for redemption and, regardless of the result, a chance to celebrate their best-ever finish at a WAFCON finals.

Algeria’s campaign ended with a 3-1 semi-final defeat by Malawi, but the team has already surpassed its previous tournament achievements by reaching the final four.

Ikram Adjabi scored Algeria’s only goal against Malawi, registering her first goal of the competition and becoming the sixth different Algerian player to score at this year’s tournament.

Algeria were also forced to play much of the semi-final with 10 players after Morgane Belkhiter was sent off in the 22nd minute. She became the first Algerian player to receive a red card at the tournament.

The defeat also represented Algeria’s first loss in open play in a WAFCON knockout match. Their only previous knockout defeat had come on penalties against Ghana following a goalless draw in the 2024 edition.

CAF highlighted another encouraging feature of Algeria’s campaign, noting that the team’s last three goals at the tournament have all come in the second half.

Adjabi was particularly prominent against Malawi, recording four shots on target, while goalkeeper Chloé N’Gazi produced four saves.

The history between the two sides adds another layer to Saturday’s contest. Morocco have won both of their previous WAFCON meetings with North African opponents, defeating Egypt 4-1 in 1998 before overcoming Algeria 1-0 in the current tournament.

Algeria, meanwhile, have never beaten or scored against a North African opponent at the WAFCON. Algeria drew 0-0 with Tunisia in the 2024 group stage before suffering the narrow defeat to Morocco this year.

Saturday’s fixture will also be the first time Morocco have faced North African opposition outside the group stage at the competition, while Algeria will experience the same milestone.

The winner will become only the eighth different nation to claim third place at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, joining Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia.

Ghana remain the benchmark in the bronze-medal contest, having won all four of their previous third-place play-offs in 2000, 2004, 2016 and 2024.

For Morocco, the match is a chance to recover from a devastating semi-final exit and maintain their impressive record as WAFCON hosts. For Algeria, it represents a golden opportunity to crown a breakthrough campaign with the country’s highest-ever finish.