Algeria reached the tournament for the first time after a comeback win over Côte d’Ivoire, while hosts Morocco edged South Africa 2-1

Algeria and Morocco have secured places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after reaching the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with both North African sides producing important quarter-final victories.

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Algeria completed a historic breakthrough on Saturday, August 8, 2026, by coming from behind to defeat Côte d’Ivoire 2-1, securing qualification for the Women’s World Cup for the first time in the country’s history.

Morocco followed with another 2-1 victory, overcoming South Africa to reach the last four and confirm their place at the global tournament.

Under the qualification format for the expanded African competition, the four WAFCON semi-finalists automatically qualify for Brazil 2027. The two victories therefore carried significance beyond continental competition, securing Algeria and Morocco a place on football’s biggest stage.

For Algeria, the achievement represents a landmark moment for the women’s national team. The side showed resilience against Côte d’Ivoire after falling behind before recovering to win the decisive quarter-final.

The result means Algeria will make its first appearance at a FIFA Women’s World Cup, turning a breakthrough at continental level into a historic qualification for the global tournament.

Morocco’s qualification adds another significant chapter to the country’s rapid rise in women’s football.

The Atlas Lionesses reached the final of the previous WAFCON tournament in 2024 and have continued to establish themselves among Africa’s leading women’s teams. Their victory over defending champions South Africa ensures that Morocco will also return to the World Cup stage in Brazil.

The qualification is particularly notable because Morocco hosted the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, when the team reached the final and became the first Arab nation to qualify for a senior FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The North Africans subsequently competed at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The remaining African qualification places will be determined by the other quarter-final matches.

Cameroon will face Nigeria on Sunday, while Malawi will meet Ghana. The winners of both matches will automatically join Algeria and Morocco at the 2027 World Cup by reaching the WAFCON semi-finals.

The losing quarter-finalists, meanwhile, will have another route to Brazil.

Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa remain alive through a continental play-off pathway. The two defeated quarter-finalists will meet on August 13, with the winner advancing to the World Cup alongside one of the other two losing quarter-finalists.

The arrangement gives the defeated teams a second opportunity to keep their World Cup hopes alive, although their route is considerably less direct than that of the semi-finalists.

For Africa, the qualification campaign represents another step in the growth of women’s football on the continent.

The expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup has created additional opportunities for African teams to compete at the highest international level and build on the progress made at recent tournaments.

Nigeria remain among the continent’s most successful teams, having qualified for every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.

Cameroon and Ghana have also established themselves as regular participants on the African women’s football scene, while Morocco’s recent rise has demonstrated the increasing competitiveness of the continent.

Brazil will host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, marking the first time the tournament will be staged in South America. The competition will bring together the world’s leading women’s national teams in what is expected to be another major milestone for the global growth of the sport.

For Algeria, the journey to Brazil is already historic. For Morocco, it represents another opportunity to build on a remarkable recent rise.

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With two African places now confirmed and two more to be decided through the remaining quarter-finals and play-offs, the WAFCON is continuing to shape the continent’s path to Brazil 2027.