MOROCCO, ALGERIA BATTLE FOR BRONZE IN HISTORIC WAFCON NORTH AFRICAN DERBY
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Agency Report
Hosts Morocco and Algeria will renew their rivalry on Saturday as they battle for the bronze medal in the third-place play-off of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) at the Rabat Olympic Stadium.
The encounter, scheduled for 6pm, will be historic as it marks the first time two North African nations will meet in a WAFCON medal match, as well as the first occasion teams from the same region contest the third-place play-off. (Confédération Africaine de Football)
The two sides had previously met in the group stage, with Morocco securing a narrow 1-0 victory through Sanaa Mssoudy’s 84th-minute goal. Morocco will now seek to repeat that result and secure a third top-three finish in the competition. (Confédération Africaine de Football)
The Atlas Lionesses reached the semi-finals but were eliminated by Cameroon after a goalless draw and a 3-1 defeat on penalties. A victory over Algeria would see Morocco finish among the top three for the third time, following their runners-up finishes in 2022 and 2024.
For Algeria, the match offers an opportunity to secure their best-ever finish at the WAFCON, regardless of the result.
The Algerians were beaten 3-1 by Malawi in their semi-final, ending their hopes of reaching the final. However, they have already made history by reaching the last four for the first time.
Saturday’s match will also be only the third occasion in WAFCON history that two teams which previously met in the group stage face each other again in the third-place play-off. Previous instances involved Nigeria and Cameroon in 2012 and Cameroon and Mali in 2018.
Morocco have won both of their previous WAFCON meetings against North African opposition, while Algeria are yet to defeat or score against a fellow North African side at the tournament. (Confédération Africaine de Football)
The winner in Rabat will become only the eighth different nation to finish third at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
With both teams determined to end their campaigns with a medal, the North African derby promises to provide a compelling conclusion to their WAFCON journeys.
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