WAFCON: ALGERIA DEFEAT MOROCCO ON PENALTIES TO SECURE THIRD PLACE
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By: Muftau Fatimo
Algeria clinched a historic bronze medal at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 after overcoming hosts Morocco 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation time in Rabat on Saturday.
The triumph secured Algeria’s first-ever podium finish in the history of the tournament, providing a memorable conclusion to their campaign following their semi-final loss to Malawi.
Morocco made a strong start and nearly opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Ibtissam Jraidi’s first-time strike rattled the crossbar.
The hosts eventually took the lead nine minutes later, with Kautar Azraf displaying impressive skill to evade her marker before curling a left-footed effort into the far corner.
Azraf nearly doubled the advantage soon afterwards with a volley, but the effort bounced awkwardly and lost direction before Algeria cleared the danger.
Jraidi had another opportunity in the 63rd minute after being played through on goal, but she failed to make a clean connection with her effort.
Algeria, however, returned from the break with greater purpose and began putting the Moroccan defence under sustained pressure
Captain Marine Dafeur came close in the 77th minute after receiving a perfectly weighted pass, but she could not direct her effort towards goal.
Three minutes later, Lina Boussaha produced another warning with a well-struck volley that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
The pressure finally paid off in the 83rd minute. Melissa Bethi delivered a brilliant through ball for Boussaha, who kept her composure to beat the goalkeeper and level the match at 1-1.
Neither side could find a winning goal before the final whistle, forcing the contest to be decided by a penalty shootout.
Algeria held their nerve from the spot to win 3-2, with Ines Belloumou converting the decisive penalty to complete a historic victory.
The result earns Algeria their first WAFCON bronze medal and a place on the podium, while Morocco finish fourth after an impressive run on home soil.
For Algeria, the victory provides a fitting reward for their resilience and marks a significant milestone in the history of their women’s national team.
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