Heartbreak for Elephants and Banyana as Algeria and Morocco book historic WAFCON semis spot

ByKehinde-Hassan Afolabi August 9, 2026 9:15 amAugust 9, 2026 9:15 am

Algeria and hosts Morocco have reached the WAFCON 2026 semi-finals while securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Algeria and Morocco have booked places in the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after contrasting quarter-final victories on Saturday. The results also secured both nations qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Algeria completed a remarkable comeback against Côte d’Ivoire after falling behind to Ines Konan’s first-half goal.

Ines Khiri restored parity before Amira Ould Braham struck again to complete a 2-1 turnaround and send Algeria into their first WAFCON semi-final.

The Fennecs had to withstand sustained pressure after Côte d’Ivoire were reduced to 10 players. Rebecca Elloh subsequently missed a penalty that could have levelled the contest, allowing Algeria to protect their advantage and secure a historic first World Cup qualification.

Côte d’Ivoire’s defeat ended their hopes of automatic qualification, but their tournament is not necessarily over. The four quarter-final losers will enter an African play-off, with two teams eventually earning places in the inter-confederation play-offs for the 2027 World Cup.

Morocco, meanwhile, defeated defending champions South Africa 2-1 to maintain their hopes of winning the continental title on home soil.

Sakina Ouzraoui opened the scoring before Hanane Aït El Haj converted a penalty to put the hosts two goals ahead.

South Africa responded through Thembi Kgatlana, whose powerful effort reduced the deficit in the second half. Banyana Banyana pushed for an equaliser but could not break through Morocco’s defence, with the hosts holding on to secure their place in the last four.

The victory also guarantees Morocco a second appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, having made their debut at the 2023 tournament. CAF had confirmed before the quarter-final that victory against South Africa would secure their place in Brazil 2027.

For Algeria, the achievement is even more significant. The North Africans had never previously reached a WAFCON semi-final or qualified for the Women’s World Cup, making Saturday’s comeback a landmark moment in the country’s women’s football history.

The two quarter-final victories also underline the growing competitiveness of North African women’s football. Morocco are now seeking to go one step further after finishing runners-up on home soil in 2022, while Algeria have emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages.

With the semi-finals approaching, Algeria and Morocco can now focus fully on competing for continental glory while preparing for their historic trips to Brazil.

The remaining quarter-final matches will determine the other two semi-finalists and the remaining World Cup qualifiers.

Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi

Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi is a football journalist whose deep tactical understanding of the game makes him a standout, captivating audiences across print, audio, and video. His poetic background brings a unique rhythm and depth to his work, seamlessly transforming analysis into artistry. With a knack for narration and research, he captures the drama of the game beyond tactics and statistics, making each piece of his; a compelling blend of insight and storytelling.