The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) knockout rounds got off to a spectacular start yesterday as Algeria and the host nation Morocco each registered convincing wins.
Algeria came from behind a goal down, and a highly charged 10-player Ivory Coast to make history and book their place in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Morocco equally made the home fans ecstatic as they progressed to the semi-finals for the first time in history after a hard-fought win over reigning champions, South Africa.
The night opened in Casablanca as Ivory Coast and Algeria collided in the first quarter-final match of the knockout rounds.
As expected, the ever-imposing Ivorian forwards struck first through the brilliant Ines Konan in the 29th minute.
However, the game took a dramatic turn just before half-time when the impressive Ivorian winger NSira Ouedraogo was shown a straight red card for a blatant foul her an Algeria goalkeeper. With renewed hope and a disciplined display in the second half, Algeria equalized and went on to register an astonishing comeback win over their arch-rivals.
This is the first time that the Fennecs have ever progressed to the semi-finals of the WAFCON, and it came with an added benefit as they have qualified for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The thrilling encounter between Morocco and South Africa was perhaps the game of the night, as the Atlas Lionesses continued to surprise everyone with their display of skills and determination on the home turf.
Playing in front of a raucous home crowd, Morocco put on a spectacular performance to edge past the five-time African champions with a masterclass performance that saw them nullify the attacks of their highly-charged opponents.
With this win, the hosts advanced to the WAFCON semis for the first time in the history of the competition.
In addition to registering a historic win, the Atlas Lionesses and Fennecs each have earned a ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, thanks to their WAFCON 2026 wins.
With the 2027 edition of the tournament on the horizon, this year’s thrilling performance by the WAFCON teams in Morocco serves as a reminder that the competition will live up to its reputation as one of the most competitive in world football as it expands to 16 teams.
The 2026 WAFCON semi-finals are set, and based on last night’s exciting encounter, African football fans have much to look forward to in the days to come.
The championship continues tonight when Cameroon take on Nigeria at exactly 20:00 (EAT) before Malawi and Ghana clash at 23:00 pm (EAT)
