Algeria beat Morocco to clinch WAFCON bronze medal

By Amaechi Agbo

Algeria on Saturday secured a historic first-ever podium finish at the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 after defeating hosts Morocco 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation time in Rabat.
The victory capped a remarkable campaign for Algerians, who bounced back from their semi-final defeat to Malawi to leave the tournament with a bronze medal and their best-ever finish in the competition.
It was also the second meeting between the two North African rivals at the tournament, with Morocco having claimed a narrow victory when the sides met in the group stage.
Playing in front of their home supporters, Morocco made the brighter start and almost took the lead in the 17th minute when Ibtissam Jraidi’s first-time effort rattled the crossbar.
The hosts eventually broke the deadlock nine minutes later. Kautar Azraf displayed excellent skill to beat her marker before calmly using her left foot to place the ball into the far corner and give Morocco a 1-0 lead.
Azraf nearly doubled the advantage shortly afterwards, but her volley bounced awkwardly and drifted away from its intended target before Algeria cleared the danger.
Morocco continued to threaten after the interval, with Jraidi presented with another opportunity in the 63rd minute after being played through on goal, only to fail to make a clean connection with her effort.
Algeria, however, grew increasingly dangerous as the match progressed. The visitors began to dominate possession and put the Moroccan defence under sustained pressure.
Captain Marine Dafeur came close to an equaliser in the 77th minute after receiving a perfectly weighted pass, but she could not direct her attempt towards goal.
Three minutes later, Lina Boussaha went even closer, sending a powerful volley narrowly over the crossbar.
The Algerians were eventually rewarded for their persistence in the 83rd minute.
Melissa Bethi produced an excellent through ball for Boussaha, who kept her composure inside the area and calmly slipped the ball beyond the Moroccan goalkeeper to restore parity.
Neither team could find a winning goal before the final whistle, forcing the bronze-medal match into a penalty shootout.
Algeria proved more composed from the spot, winning the shootout 3-2, with Ines Belloumou converting the decisive penalty to complete a historic triumph.
The result handed Algeria their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations podium finish, while Morocco were left with fourth place despite an impressive run on home soil.
For Algeria, the bronze medal provided a fitting reward for a team that refused to let their semi-final disappointment define their tournament.